Colorectal Cancer Mortality Following an Organized Fecal Immunochemical Test-Based Screening Program.
Fecal immunochemical test-based screening linked to 46% relative drop in colorectal cancer mortality at ages 50-69
Colorectal Cancer Mortality Following an Organized Fecal Immunochemical Test-Based Screening Program.
IMPORTANCE: Colorectal cancer (colorectal cancer) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
To evaluate the association between an organized fecal immunochemical test-based screening program and colorectal cancer-specific mortality in a population-based setting.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective, population-based cohort study included all residents of the Basque Country, Spain (approximately 2.2 million inhabitants) between 2004 and 2024.
screening cut colorectal cancer deaths well beyond what trends alone would predict
Age-standardized colorectal cancer mortality declined from 32.8 to 23.1 deaths per 100 000 population between 2004 and 2024 (reduction of 29.6%; P = .002).
In individuals aged 50 to 69 years, colorectal cancer mortality declined by 50.1% (from 39.7 to 19.8 deaths per 100 000 population).
Segmented regression identified a significant inflection point in the year 2012 (95% CI, 2011-2014; P < .001), 3 years after screening implementation.
Among individuals aged 70 years or older, colorectal cancer mortality declined by 19.6% (from 165.4 to 132.9 deaths per 100 000 population), corresponding to a 45.4% relative reduction compared with projected rates.
In this retrospective, population-based, descriptive cohort study, organized fecal immunochemical test-based screening was associated with a sustained decline in colorectal cancer mortality, particularly among individuals aged 50 to 69 years.
These findings support the long-term benefit of organized fecal immunochemical test-based screening programs as a public health strategy to reduce colorectal cancer-related mortality.