Thecolorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth incident malignant neoplasm in Brazil.Its diagnosis in young patients is usually underestimated by being frequentlyconsidered as elderly patients' clinical condition. This research has the objectiveto evaluate clinical-pathological variables in patients below 40 years, accordingto age, gender, ethnic, family history, smoking, signs and symptoms, time fromthe beginning of the symptoms to the diagnosis, and location of the primarylesion through retrospective study of 11 cases of CRC assisted at the AcademicalHospital - HUUFMA in the period from 1995 to 2005. The included patients represented11 (3,27%) of the cases which are more frequent in women (54,5%). The averageage to the diagnosis was 30,5 years. The signs and symptoms more prevalent wereabdominal pain, intestinal habit alterations, weight loss, rectal pain and hematoquezy.The average time from the beginning of the sintomatology to the emergence ofthe symptoms was of 9,09 months. Most of the lesions were founded in the recto-sigmoidand rectum (81,8%). Around 80% of the patients presented carcinoma in stagesC and D of Dukes Astler-Coller's classification. Young patients with CRC haveusually vast symptomatology with advanced disease at the diagnosis, thereforewith smaller cure possibility and worse prognosis.
