A new Taiwanese study has found that starting the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening in your 40s, rather than waiting until age 50, could significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and mortality. The researchers also found that early screening reduced the relative risk of developing colorectal cancer by 21% and the risk of dying from it by 39%.
Published in JAMA Oncology, the research analysed health data from over 2,63,000 adults and revealed that early adopters of FIT, a simple and non-invasive stool test, experienced lower rates of both colorectal cancer incidence and death compared to those who began screening at the standard age of 50.
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Participants who began FIT screening between the ages of 40 and 49 had an incidence rate of 26.1 CRC cases per 100,000 person-years, compared to 42.6 cases in the group that started at 50 or later. Mortality rates were also lower, 3.2 versus 7.4 deaths per 100,000 person-years.
“These results provide strong empirical support for lowering the CRC screening age, with substantial public health implications,” said Dr Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen of National Taiwan University, who led the study.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death globally, but it’s also one of the most preventable, especially when detected early. The findings come at a time when rates of early-onset colorectal cancer have been rising globally, especially in adults aged 40–49. Risk factors include high-calorie diets, processed meats, sedentary lifestyles, and possibly antibiotic exposure earlier in life.
