A RARE CASE OF COLON CANCER IN A YOUNG PATIENT: A CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Malignant neoplasms of the colon and rectum are often missed in patients younger than 45 years, the uncertainty of the diagnosis by the surgical team due to unavailability of clear screening guidelines in this population may be one of the reasons. The objective of this case report is to highlight the occurrence of colon cancer in a patient younger than 45 years to avoid the delay in management and the need for clear screening guidelines. Our patient, a 30 years old lady with an average risk of colon cancer demonstrated clinical symptoms and signs suggestive of partial bowel obstruction. After full radiological and laboratory investigations, she was initially diagnosed with inflammatory vs infectious cause of this obstruction. Colonoscopy showed a mass in the right hepatic flexure and sessile polyp in the transverse colon, Histopathology result showed moderately differentiated colon cancer. The patient was taken to the operation theater, right extended hemicolectomy was done, final histopathology result showed stage IIIc cancer, the patient was sent for oncology. In a conclusion, Colon cancer in patients younger than 45 years old requires a high index of suspicion by the surgeon and the managing team despite the unavailability of clear guidelines for screening at a young age.