Introduction Colorectal cancer has a higher incidence among the elderly population, with most
diagnoses concentrated in individuals aged 50-60 years. However, there has been a
noticeable increase in this neoplasm among young people, where diagnosis may be delayed
due to nonspecific symptoms, negatively impacting the disease prognosis. To date,
no recent epidemiological analysis of colorectal cancer in the young population has
been conducted.
Objective To analyze the cases of colorectal malignant neoplasm diagnoses in the young population
in Brazil.
Methodology This ecological study utilized data extracted from the Department of Informatics
of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) through the Oncology Panel—Brazil, covering
the period from 2018 to 2023. Participants included males and females aged 0 to 19
years. The variables analyzed were malignant neoplasm of the colon (ICD10-C18), malignant
neoplasm of the rectosigmoid junction (ICD10-C19), malignant neoplasm of the rectum
(ICD10-C20), gender, and age group. The analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics.
Results During the analyzed period, 4,676 cases of malignant neoplasms of the colon, rectosigmoid
junction, and rectum were recorded in individuals aged 0 to 19 years of both sexes.
Throughout this period, diagnoses were more frequent among males. In 2021, the highest
number of colon cancer cases was recorded, with a total of 1,243 cases, 787 among
males and 456 among females. There was a 280.1% increase in cases from 2018 (327 cases)
to 2021 (1,243 cases). However, from 2021 (1,243 cases) to 2023 (562 cases), a 54.8%
reduction was observed. Over the six-year period, 2018 presented the greatest proportional
difference in cases between males (224) and females (103), with a ratio of 2.17. Meanwhile,
2023 showed the smallest male-to-female ratio, with 329 cases in males and 233 in
females, representing a ratio of 1.41.
Conclusion The study corroborates findings in the literature, confirming an increase in the
prevalence of colorectal cancer in recent years, with a continued higher proportion
of cases in males compared to females. Although the absolute number of cases was higher
in 2023 compared to 2018, the growth trend in prevalence did not remain constant over
the six-year period. This analysis includes data from before and after the 2020 pandemic,
which may have influenced the increased demand for healthcare and diagnostic imaging,
particularly the post-pandemic peak in 2021. This study is highly relevant as it highlights
the need for early detection of this neoplasm in young individuals.
