Objective To describe the current situation of delayed medical treatment in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and analyze their clinicopathological features.

Methods A total of 406 patients diagnosed as early-onset colorectal cancer in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from January 2015 to December 2021 were selected, and the materials such as time from the first discovery of symptom to the first visit in the medical institution, initial symptoms and postoperative pathology were analyzed retrospectively.

Results Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer were mainly diagnosed with changes in bowel habits and stool characteristics, abdominal pain or discomfort, and 51.72% of patients had a time interval of ≥3 months from the discovery of symptoms to the first visit in a medical institution. The primary site of the tumor was predominantly in the rectum, with the ulcerative type being the most common macroscopic classification, adenocarcinoma being the most common histological classification, phase Ⅲ being the most common TNM stage, and moderate differentiation being the main tumor differentiation.

Conclusion Delayed medical treatment is a common phenomenon in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer, and it is necessary to enhance people's and grassroots doctors' awareness and attention to early-onset colorectal cancer, in order to explore the reasons for delayed medical treatment and promote early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.