Rising Burden of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Brazil: An Ecological Analysis of National Data (2015–2024)
Gonçalo Zardin Chechi, Arthur Simas Heisser, Juliana Rosset, Karen KleinPURPOSE
Early-onset Colorectal Cancer (EOCRC), commonly defined as colorectal cancer diagnosed before the age of 50 years, has emerged as a growing global health concern. Although increasing trends have been reported in several high-income countries, epidemiological data from middle-income countries remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate temporal trends in EOCRC cases in Brazil between 2015 and 2024.
METHODS
A retrospective ecological study was conducted using data from the Brazilian National Oncology Panel, made available in the Unified Health System Database (DATASUS). Cases diagnosed between 2015 and 2024 were identified using ICD-10 codes C18-C20. Patients aged 20-49 years were classified as having early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC). Data were stratified by age group and sex, and temporal trends in the absolute number of EOCRC cases were analyzed over the study period.
RESULTS
A total of 55,018 EOCRC cases were identified in Brazil between 2015 and 2024. The number of EOCRC cases increased from 3,018 in 2015 to 6,821 in 2024, representing a 126% increase over the study period. Females accounted for 54.6% of all EOCRC cases. EOCRC cases increased in both sexes, rising from 1,400 to 2,988 cases among males and from 1,618 to 3,833 cases among females between 2015 and 2024, corresponding to increases of 113% and 137%, respectively. The highest number of EOCRC cases was observed in 2023, with 7,359 reported cases nationwide.
CONCLUSION
EOCRC cases increased substantially in Brazil over the last decade, particularly among women. These findings reinforce growing global concerns regarding the increasing burden of colorectal cancer in younger populations and highlight the importance of strengthening surveillance strategies and early detection efforts in middle-income countries.