, a cross-sectional study of stage-stratified CRC found.
It is well known that CRC is becoming more prevalent generally in the under 50-year population, but stage-related analyses have not been done.
Staging analysis in this age group is important, however, as an increasing burden of advance-staged disease would provide further evidence for earlier screening initiation, wrote Eric M. Montminy, MD, a gastroenterologist at John H. Stroger Hospital of County Cook, Chicago, Illinois, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open.
Dr. Eric M. Montminy
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that average-risk screening begin at 45 years of age, as do the American Gastroenterological Association and other GI societies, although the American College of Physicians last year published clinical guidance recommending 50 years as the age to start screening for CRC for patients with average risk.
“Patients aged 46-49 may become confused on which guideline to follow, similar to confusion occurring with prior breast cancer screening changes,” Dr. Montminy said in an interview. “We wanted to demonstrate incidence rates with stage stratification to help clarify the incidence trends in this age group. Stage stratification is a key because it provides insight into the relationship between time and cancer incidence, ie, is screening finding early cancer or not?”
A 2020 study in JAMA Network Open demonstrated a 46.1% increase in CRC incidence rates (IRs) in persons aged 49-50 years. This steep increase is consistent with the presence of a large preexisting and undetected case burden.
“Our results demonstrate that adults aged 46-49 years, who are between now-conflicting guidelines on whether to start screening at age 45 or 50 years, have an increasing burden of more advanced-stage CRC and thus may be at an increased risk if screening is not initiated at age 45 years,” Dr. Montminy’s group wrote.
Using incidence data per 100,000 population from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, the investigators observed the following IRs for early-onset CRC in the age group of 46-49 years:
- Distant adenocarcinoma IRs increased faster than other stages: annual percentage change (APC), 2.2 (95% CI, 1.8-2.6).
- Regional IRs also significantly increased: APC, 1.3 (95% CI, 0.8-1.7).
- Absolute regional IRs of CRC in the age bracket of 46-49 years are similar to total pancreatic cancer IRs in all ages and all stages combined (13.2 of 100,000) over similar years. When distant IRs for CRC are included with regional IRs, those for IRs for CRC are double those for pancreatic cancer of all stages combined.
- The only decrease was seen in localized IRs: APC, -0.6 (95% CI, -1 to -0.2).
“My best advice for clinicians is to provide the facts from the data to patients so they can make an informed health decision,” Dr. Montminy said. “This includes taking an appropriate personal and family history and having the patient factor this aspect into their decision on when and how they want to perform colon cancer screening.”
His institution adheres to the USPSTF recommendation of initiation of CRC screening at age 45 years.