Lower screening age calls for more tailored bowel cancer surveillance

Australia’s recent move to lower the starting age for bowel (colorectal) cancer screening from 50 down to 45 years old will mean better outcomes — but it will also increase the burden on an already struggling healthcare system, warn researchers. They predict that the expanded screening program will likely lead to an influx of younger adults who will require ongoing surveillance with regular colonoscopies, prompting the team to review current clinical guidelines for at risk individuals.