Unlocking precancer detection: Physiology to screening strategies
Why precancer detection matters
Colorectal cancer (CRC) can develop through a progression from normal tissue to precancerous lesions and, ultimately, invasive cancer. Advanced precancerous lesions (APLs) have the potential to become malignant, with the risk of malignancy increasing with more severe and higher-grade dysplasia. Individuals with APLs have a 3- to 4-fold increased risk for CRC. Early detection and removal of APLs can interrupt CRC development; polyp removal has been associated with a 67% reduction in CRC incidence.
Detecting CRC early is also associated with substantially different survival outcomes. The 5-year relative survival rate is 91% when cancer is localized, compared with 15% when cancer has metastasized.
References
Full citations supporting the clinical and scientific information presented above are included in the downloadable infographic.
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