The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer is rising, but whether it is biologically distinct from average-onset disease is unclear. Mapping of the transcriptome of colorectal tumors across the age continuum shows that tumors in younger adults contain more stromal cells and have increased expression of long non-coding RNAs and genes associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
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References
Siegel, R. L. et al. Colorectal cancer incidence patterns in the United States, 1974–2013. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 109, djw322 (2017). This paper assesses CRC incidence trends by birth cohort and finds age-specific CRC risk to be increased in young adults.
Siegel, A. R. L., Wagle, N. S. & Jemal, A. Leading cancer deaths in people younger than ...