Early-onset colorectal carcinoma study

Early-onset colorectal carcinoma (before the age of 45 years) are a distinct clinical group characterized by frequent distal location, poor cellular differentiation and aggressive evolution. A systematic study of early-onset cancers without familial predisposition in the context of the CIT program of "la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer" has been set up to characterize molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis of these tumors. Preliminary results of transcriptome analysis show different gene-expression profiles among age. The next step will consist in validating a molecular signature specific for early-onset carcinoma. Genomic profile does not differ from that observed in late-onset colon cancers.