[Early-onset colorectal cancer : When should we start with screening?]

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 (early-onset colorectal cancer, EOCRC) has increased, and extension of colorectal cancer screening for younger age groups is currently being discussed.

Objectives: To discuss whether the age for population-wide colorectal cancer screening should be lowered?

Results: Extension of population-wide screening to younger age groups particularly to those under the age of 40 would be highly inefficient due to the low colorectal cancer incidence. Still, it could be considered for people at increased risk, including young adults with familial risk. Implementation of primary prevention measures would already be possible.

Conclusions: More targeted risk-adapted prevention and screening strategies are needed to reverse the rising trend of EOCRC and to detect colorectal cancer more frequently at an early stage.