Afsaneh Barzi

In recent years, the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in adults younger than 50 years has become a point of concern among experts. CRC is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and second among women in this population.1 In response to this increasing trend, in 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended starting CRC screening at age 45 years.

1. Introduction Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (herein referred to as pancreatic cancer) comprises more than 86% of all pancreatic malignancies [1]. In the United States, pancreatic cancer accounts for 3% of all cancer incidence and 7% of cancer mortality, making it the third leading cause of cancer death [2]. Approximately 45–55% of patients have metastatic disease at the time of presentation, and about 80–90% of patients have unresectable tumors, which are associated with poor prognosis [3].

Key Points Question Was the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2021 recommendation for average-risk individuals aged 45 to 49 years to receive colorectal cancer (CRC) screening associated with changes in screening uptake? Findings In this nationwide cohort study of 10 221 114 privately insured individuals aged 45 to 49 years, mean rates of CRC screening uptake increased significantly in the 20 months after the USPSTF recommendation vs the 20 months before.