STAT+: New atlas of colorectal tumors sheds light on why cancers in young people are more dangerous — SkimNews
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- Kimmie Ng published a new study in Nature Medicine on Thursday examining biological differences between colorectal cancer in younger and older patients.
- The 189-tumor single-cell atlas spans colorectal cancer tumors from patients in their 20s through their 90s and was described as the largest biological database of its kind.
- Early-onset colorectal cancer typically occurs in patients under 50, who tend to be diagnosed at later stages with tumors showing more aggressive features.
- Patients under 35 may have survival that is no better than that of people in their 40s or 60s, despite receiving more aggressive treatment and being healthier at baseline, Ng said.
- The atlas and related technology should help researchers control for variables that confounded earlier colorectal cancer studies.
Why it matters: Researchers gain a single-cell reference containing 189 tumors from patients in their 20s to their 90s, alongside technology intended to control variables that confounded earlier studies. For colorectal cancer teams, that makes the biological contrast behind Ng’s quoted concern about survival under 35 relative to the 40s and 60s despite more aggressive treatment easier to investigate.
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