Mucinous Colorectal Adenocarcinoma on a 21-Year-Old Female. Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Colon and rectal cancer is now the third most diagnosed in the West. About 40% of cases are diagnosed after age 75, and the incidence increases with age. Mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma is a subtype of colon cancer. The effect of diet on the development of colon and rectal cancers is unclear. The clinical picture divides the colon into 2: Right-sided colon (cecum, ascending colon, hepatic flexure) versus the left-sided colon (splenic flexure, descending colon, sigmoid, rectosigmoid) and rectum. Arbitrarily, two-thirds of the transverse colon is on the right side. Patients are usually asymptomatic for the most part, when symptoms exist, they present as transrectal bleeding, changes in intestinal habits, anemia, or abdominal pain. In younger patients, additional factors are used to identify those at higher risk for colorectal cancer. (e.g., having a family history of colorectal cancer, changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, and blood mixed with the stool instead of blood on the surface of the stool).