Temporal Changes in Age at Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer in Türkiye: A 9-Year Single-Center Analysis
Abdussamet Çelebi11Department of Medical Oncology, Marmara University, İstanbul, Türkiye
Objectives: Although human lifespan is increasing, the global rise in the incidence of colorectal cancer at a young age has attracted considerable attention in recent years. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the temporal change in the age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer patients. Methods: In this single-center retrospective epidemiological cohort study, data were obtained from hospital records of patients who presented to our center with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer between 2018 and 2026. The date of first presentation and age at diagnosis were determined for each patient, and duplicate records were eliminated. A total of 4,509 unique patients were included in the study. Changes in age at diagnosis over the years were analyzed using linear regression, correlation tests, and the Mann–Kendall trend test. Results: Over the nine-year period, the median age at diagnosis decreased from 71 to 65 years. The mean age at diagnosis declined from 70.3 in 2018 to 64.4 in 2026 (p<0.001). Age at diagnosis decreased by an average of 0.71 years per year (R²=0.88). The proportion of patients older than 70 years decreased from 55.4% to 35.6%, while the proportion of patients younger than 50 years increased from 5.6% to 11.2%. Conclusion: A significant decline in age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer was detected. This trend is consistent with international findings of an increasing incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer and indicates that screening programs need to be reassessed. Keywords: Age at diagnosis, colorectal cancer, early-onset cancer, incidence, trend analysis, Türkiye
Cite This Article
Çelebi A. Temporal Changes in Age at Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer in Türkiye: A 9-Year Single-Center Analysis. EJMI. 2026; 10(4): 638-645
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