1 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults aged <50 years in England over the last 20 years
Introduction: Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer mortality – with an estimated 1.9 million new cases (10% of all cancers) and 935,000 deaths (9.4% of all cancers) in the year 2020. In recent decades, the incidence of early-onset CRC, (i.e., in persons aged Material and method: Individual-level data for patients diagnosed with CRC during 1985-2019 were obtained from Public Health England. Average annual incidence rates (AAIRs) were calculated by sex and two age categories (Results and discussion: During the 35-year study period, a total of 1,048,935 patients (54% males, 46% females) with CRC were registered in England. In young adults aged Conclusion: This large population-based study of over 1 million patients shows that the incidence of CRC in older adults aged 50+ years in England has stabilised (or levelled off) during the last 20 years, whereas there has been a steady increase in incidence in young adults aged <50 years during this period. It is suggested that the rising incidence of early-onset CRC in young adults aged <50 years may be attributed to diet, lifestyle factors, microbiome composition and genetic factors. This study supports the debate for lowering the bowel cancer screening age to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of pre-malignant lesions in young adults aged <50 years.</p