Publicatiedatum
Several Western countries have reported an increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer in people under 50 in recent years. However, previous research showed no clear increase in incidence in the 45–49 age group in Flanders, in the period 1999–2013, before the start of the Flemish colorectal cancer population screening programme (Van de Veerdonk et al., 2019). At the request of the Flemish working group Bevolkingsonderzoek Dikkedarmkanker (Population Screening for Colorectal Cancer), the incidence of invasive colorectal cancer in this age group in Flanders was re-examined for the period 2001–2019. This includes the more recent time evolution.
The results of the study, whose title translates as ‘colorectal cancer (45–49 years) in Flanders’ show that the incidence of invasive colorectal cancer in the 45–49 age group has remained stable in Flanders since 2001, in both men and women. Furthermore, this incidence is clearly lower than in the age groups belonging to the target group of the Flemish population screening for colorectal cancer (50- to 74-year-olds).
The results of the study, whose title translates as ‘colorectal cancer (45–49 years) in Flanders’ show that the incidence of invasive colorectal cancer in the 45–49 age group has remained stable in Flanders since 2001, in both men and women. Furthermore, this incidence is clearly lower than in the age groups belonging to the target group of the Flemish population screening for colorectal cancer (50- to 74-year-olds).