Selected Articles from This Issue

Early onset colorectal cancer has been increasing in incidence. Arif and colleagues sought to assess what impact pre-disposing conditions have on colorectal cancer. To answer this question, the authors reviewed a population-based registry in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Pre-disposing conditions were more common in individuals aged 18–29 than in other deciles <50 and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) related cancers were associated with worse disease characteristics, while those associated with hereditary syndromes had improved prognosis compared to IBD related or sporadic cancer. This work shows that early onset colorectal cancer is heterogeneous and clinical characteristics differ in those with pre-disposing conditions.

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (eoCRC) diagnosed under age 50 has been rising in the United States. Studies evaluating eoCRC risk factors that may contribute to this rising trend are needed to inform intervention strategies. Schumacher and colleagues conducted a population-based case-control study among members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California to evaluate the associations between metabolic abnormalities, namely obesity, typ. 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, and risk of eoCRC. This study included over 1,000 eoCRC cases and 5,000 matched controls. The authors found that obesity, but not type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, was significantly associated with risk of eoCRC.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations experience disparities and regional variation in colorectal cancer incidence rates. Haverkamp and colleagues analyzed central cancer registry incidence data to determine the current state of these disparities. They found an increasing disparity in AI/AN rates overall, compared with the White population, exacerbated by increasing rates among AI/AN persons in certain regions and in younger age groups. The findings suggest that enhanced measures, such as culturally appropriate screening and public health interventions are needed among AI/AN persons, especially in regions and age groups in which colorectal cancer rates are increasing.

The influence of prenatal Diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure on cancer incidence among middle-aged men has not been well-characterized. This study by Strohsnitter and colleagues reports the results of a follow-up of 2,924 men. Participants provided information on whether or not they were diagnosed with cancer over a period of 39 years. The results reassure prenatally DES-exposed men that it is unlikely that their overall cancer risk is higher than those unexposed. The study also does not lend substantial evidence to the hypothesis that prenatal hormone exposure plays a role in the development of prostate cancer. The study's null findings stress the need for continued exploration of prostate cancer's etiologic factors.