Amid Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month this March, analysts at GlobalData are warning that health bodies around the world need to “reevaluate CRC screening programs” while boosting awareness around the disease.
This is because there has been a significant rise in CRC cases in younger adults in recent years that is changing the screening/diagnosis paradigm, the analysts say in their most recent report.
GlobalData points to recent studies that show an uptick in CRC rates in people under 50. In the U.S., this has in fact increased by a worrying 22% from 2000 to 2013. Conversely, incidence rates for over-50s fell by 32%.
The trend has prompted the United States Preventive Services Task Force to want the screening age dropped to 45. There are calls for more countries to do the same, given that the same trends are being seen around Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, although many have yet to do so.
“Health departments globally need to reevaluate CRC screening programs as more people under the age of 50 are diagnosed with CRC,” said Selena Yu, Senior Medical Analyst at GlobalData, in the report.
“If more countries follow in the U.S.’ footsteps and drop screening ages to 45 or younger, the CRC test market will expand to accommodate a larger test population. In 2022, CRC ranked as the third most common cancer globally in terms of incidence and the second highest in terms of mortality.”
Yu notes that the U.S. CRC screening market “has grown exponentially” since 2015 due to the swift adoption of fecal DNA tests. The Cologuard test, which seeks out DNA changes and blood in the stool, is the only test of its type currently available in the U.S.
Yu concludes that as some governments are reluctant to lower CRC screening age, the responsibility falls on the patient. Therefore, “younger adults need to adopt healthier lifestyles such as exercising and eating balanced diets to prevent CRC. Moreover, learning about CRC indicators like blood in their stool and abnormal weight loss can help this at-risk population advocate for better CRC care.”