<b><i>Background:</i></b> Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a rare disease amongst children and adolescents. Previous studies have reported a number of differences between children/adolescents, young adults, and adult patients with CRC. However, none of these studies compared these age groups according to their clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics. In the current study, we compare these three age groups. <b><i>Methods:</i></b>A total of 173 (1.1% of 15,654 patients) young CRC patients (≤25 years) were included in the study. As a control group, 237 adult CRC patients (&#x3e;25 years) were also included. Patients were divided into three age groups: child/adolescent (10–19 years), young adult (20–25 years), and adult (&#x3e;25 years). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Statistical differences amongst the three groups in terms of gender (<i>p</i> = 0.446), family history (<i>p</i> = 0.578), symptoms of presentation (<i>p</i> = 0.306), and interval between initiation of symptoms and diagnosis (<i>p</i> = 0.710) could not be demonstrated. Whilst abdominal pain (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and vomiting (<i>p</i> = 0.002) were less common in young adults than in other groups, rectal bleeding and changes in bowel habits were relatively less common in adolescents than in other groups. Rectal localisation (<i>p</i> = 0.035), mucinous adenocarcinoma (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), and a poorly differentiated histologic subtype (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) were less common in the adult group than in other groups. The percentage of patients with metastasis and sites of metastasis (e.g., peritoneum and lung) differed between groups. The median overall survival was 32.6 months in the adolescent group, 57.8 months in the young adult group and was not reached in the adult group (<i>p</i> = 0.022). The median event-free survival of the adolescent, young adult, and adult groups was 29.0, 29.9, and 61.6 months, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.003). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> CRC patients of different age groups present different clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics. Clinicians should be aware of and manage the disease according to these differences.

Background:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of platelet parameters before concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) on survival of patients with limited disease small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC). Methods: This study consisted of patients who received CCRT due to LD-SCLC in the oncology clinic between 1997-2017. Examined platelet parameters included total platelet count (TPC), mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet-lymphocyte ratio. The cut-off value for TPC was determined as 306x10 9 /U (sensitivity: 62%, specificity: 75.5%), where patients below or equal to this level was classified as Group I, and those above as Group II. Results:The study included 90 patients whose mean age was 59 years (range: 42-83) and male ratio was 80.0% (n=72). Near three-fourths of patients (74.4%) were at clinical stage III. Among stage I-II patients, mOS was found as 126 months for Group I whereas it had not been reached in Group II (p=0.158). Stage III patients showed significantly lower mOS for Group 1 (16 [range: 14.1-17.8] months) compared to that in Group 2 (19.0 [range: 15.6-62.8] months; p=0.002). In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (p=0.003), clinical stage (p<0.001), prophylactic cranial irradiation (p=0.004), and TPC (p=0.031) was determined as the most significant factors affecting survival. Conclusion: Our study suggests association of high baseline levels of TPC to improved survival in patients scheduled to undergo CCRT for LD-SCLC. Considering easiness and universal availability of TPC measurement, potential utilization of this biomarker may be promising to predict survival, albeit requiring validation by further well-designated prospective studies.

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> To determine whether hemogram parameters have prognostic effects on survival in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This retrospective analysis included 113<b><i></i></b>ED-SCLC patients, who were followed in an oncology clinic. The data regarding the baseline patient demographic characteristics, complete blood count (white blood cell, red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean platelet volume, platelet, total neutrophil, total lymphocyte, total monocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR], and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio [MLR]), and survival were analyzed. According to the ROC curve drawn for overall survival (OS) analysis, the cutoff values were determined as follows: NLR ≥3, with 71.4% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity; PLR ≥0.150, with 68.1% sensitivity and 52.4% specificity; and MLR ≥0.367, with 64.4% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the 113 patients with ED-SCLC, 92 (81.4%) were men and 21 (18.6%) were women. The median age was 65 years (range, 35–81 years). NLR was &#x3c;3 in 40 (65.4%) patients. Patients with NLR &#x3c;3 had significantly higher OS than those with NLR ≥3 (15 vs. 5 months, respectively, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Patients with PLR &#x3c;150 had significantly higher median OS than those with PLR ≥150 (14 vs. 6 months, respectively, <i>p</i> = 0.014). The median OS was significantly greater in patients with MLR &#x3c;0.367 compared to that in patients with MLR ≥0.367 (11 vs. 6 months, respectively, <i>p</i> = 0.016). In multivariate analysis, NLR was the only factor associated with OS (HR = 2.26, 95% Cl 1.24–4.10). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> NLR was determined as an independent negative prognostic factor for OS in ED-SCLC patients at diagnosis, thus may help determine disease prognosis as a useful prognostic marker.

Mean platelet volume (MPV), the most commonly used measure of platelet size, and is altered in patients with malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MPV on overall survival (OS) of patients with locally advanced (Stage IIIA/B) inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective study included patients who received concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin + etoposide regimen due to locally advanced stage IIIA/B NSCLC. The study included a total of 115 cases, consisting of 110 (95.7%) male and 5 (4.2%) female patients. The mean age of the patients was 61.3 ± 10.4 (22–82) years. ROC curve generated by MPV for OS yielded an AUC of 0.746 (95% CI 0.659–0.833), (p < 0.001). MPV was detected as >9 fL with a sensitivity of 74.4% and a specificity of 72.0%. In patients with stage IIIA, median OS was 45.0 months (95% CI 17.3–74.1) and 21 months (95% CI 10.6–31.3) in groups with MPV > 9.0 fL and ≤9.0 fL, respectively (p = 0.013). In patients with stage IIIB, median OS was 44.0 months (95% CI 13.8–60.6) and 16 months (95% CI 9.5–22.4) in groups with MPV > 9.0 fL and ≤9.0 fL, respectively (p = 0.036). ECOG performance score, total platelet count, and MPV were found as the most significant independent factors affecting survival (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and, p = 0.034, respectively). In this study, we showed that decreased pre-treatment MPV was an independent risk factor for survival in NSCLC patients who were administered CCRT. As part of routine complete blood count panel, MPV may represent one of the easiest measuring tools as an independent prognostic marker for survival in locally advanced NSCLC.

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