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Press Release

World Digestive Health Day 2022: Reducing the burden of colorectal cancer

May 25, 2022

(Vienna, May 25, 2022) This year, the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) will draw attention to colorectal cancer (CRC) to mark World Digestive Health Day.

 CRC is the most common digestive cancer. Although the prognosis for CRC patients has improved in recent years due to remarkable improvements in therapy for both early-stage and late-stage disease, more than 150,000 individuals still die of CRC in Europe every year.

Unhealthy lifestyles, such as diet high in processed foods, smoking, and alcohol consumption, and lifestyle-related diseases, such as obesity, are linked to the development of CRC. Promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices is key in reducing an individual’s risk of developing CRC. This can be achieved through the introduction of policies to limit consumption of fast food, the intake of processed and ultra-processed food, and cigarette smoking.

In addition to promoting healthier lifestyle, screening programmes are important to reduce the burden of CRC through the removal of polyps and detection of CRC in an early, curable stage.

Professor Patrizia Burra, Chair of the UEG Public Affairs Committee, comments, “Whilst clear progress has been made regarding the implementation of CRC screening programmes in the EU, there are still large differences between Member States in both the quality and participation in these programmes.”

“UEG welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to update the 2003 Council recommendations on cancer screening”, explains Professor Burra. “By utilising the latest available information, UEG has provided calls to policymakers to inform decision making and ensure the successful implementation of colorectal cancer screening across the continent.”

UEG calls to action to policymakers about CRC screening: 

  • Expanding organised, population-based CRC screening programmes across Europe, with modern quality assurance and equal access to screening information
  • Embedding research to quantify the benefits and harms of different CRC screening tests and applications
  • Developing risk-based screening algorithms based on age, sex, genetic risk and lifestyle factors to enable personalised CRC screening

There is an opportunity to use individual risk-based assessments to identify those at the highest risk of developing CRC and who should, therefore, be targeted by screening.

Professor Michael Bretthauer, member of the UEG Public Affairs Committee, comments, “Understanding an individual’s risk of cancer can help determine the benefits of screening tests for their own situation.”

“By analysing someone’s risk factors, including their age, medical and family history, and smoking status, we can calculate personal risk. Clinical practice guidelines and tools4 can be used by healthcare professionals with their patients to enable shared decision-making and provide optimal and informed care.”

Social Sharing
  • Notes to Editors
  • References
Notes to Editors

Notes to Editors

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Professor Patrizia Burra or Professor Michael Bretthauer, please contact Luke Paskins on +44 (0) 208 154 6393 or [email protected]

We kindly ask that a reference to UEG is included when communicating any information within this press release.

About UEG

Founded in 1992 United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is the leading non-profit organisation for excellence in digestive health in Europe and beyond with its headquarters in Vienna. We improve the prevention and care of digestive diseases in Europe through providing top tier education, supporting research and advancing clinical standards. As Europe’s home for multidisciplinary gastroenterology, we unite over 50,000 engaged professionals from national and specialist societies, individual digestive health experts and related scientists from all fields. With our innovative online platform, the myUEG Community, we enable digestive health professionals from across the globe to connect and benefit from a plethora of outstanding free resources and educational activities. Our offers include UEG Week, our annual congress, online and face-to-face educational experiences, research support, a scientific journal and a range of opportunities in the form of fellowships and grants. We provide numerous guidelines, standards and quality improvement initiatives and campaign at the European level to ensure continued resources for research into digestive health while working closely with patient organisations.

Find out more about UEG’s work by visiting www.ueg.eu or contact:

Luke Paskins on +44 (0) 208 154 6393 or [email protected]

References
  1. http://wdhd.worldgastroenterology.org/ongoing-wdhd-campaigns/wdhd-2022
  2. https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pdf/Colorectal_cancer_factsheet-Mar_2021.pdf
  3. UEG Position Paper: Digestive cancer screening across Europe (2022): https://ueg.eu/files/2097/a03fa30821986dff10fc66647c84c9c3.pdf
  4. https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l5515.long

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