Carcinoma Colon of a Child presenting As Abdominal Pain

Introduction Carcinoma of the colon and rectum is an unusual malignancy in children and it represents about 1.5% of the total number of malignant solid tumors in pediatric age group.1 Other studies showed that less than 1% of all malignant growths of the large intestine occur under 20 years of age.2, 3 Colorectal carcinoma is the third most frequent cancer in adult men and the second most common in adult women.4 In children it may not be associated with a family history of large bowel cancer.5, 6 The time interval between the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was about 7.5 months to as long as 2 years.7 Gender distribution of colorectal carcinoma in adult is equal where as in children male: female ratio is 2:1.1, 8 The signs and symptoms of colonic carcinoma in children are non specific. Usual symptoms of colorectal cancer in children include changes in bowel habits (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and pain with bowel movements), an abdominal mass, weight loss, decreased appetite and blood in the stool. When the tumor is suspected, the stool should be checked for blood and the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the blood should be measured. An examination of the large bowel by

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