Colorectal cancer projected to be most frequent in Chile by 2035

Colorectal cancer is projected to become the most frequent cancer in Chile by 2035. According to GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, the disease is currently the second most frequent neoplasm and the second leading cause of oncological death in the country, with 9,965 new cases and 3,794 annual deaths.

Data indicates a rising trend in younger populations; between 2013 and 2021, incidence among Fonasa beneficiaries rose by 7.2% annually, with 23.1% of diagnoses occurring in individuals under 50. Experts from Fundación CARE and CIPS-UDD have proposed five key action lines to address this: strengthening prevention of modifiable risk factors, implementing a national screening program using fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), systematic identification of Lynch syndrome, ensuring access to complex surgery and radiotherapy, and incorporating precision molecular diagnostics.

Dr. Sergio Becerra, medical director of Fundación CARE, emphasized the urgent need for an early detection policy as the disease increasingly affects younger patients.