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Background and Aims: From 2014, the Dutch colorectal cancer (CRC) faecal immunochemical testing-based screening programme was gradually rolled out by birth cohort. We evaluated changes in advanced-stage CRC incidence by timing of invitation to further strengthen the evidence for the effectiveness of CRC screening., Methods: Data on advanced-stage CRC incidence in the period 2010-2019 by invitation cohort were collected through the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Crude rates of advanced-stage CRC incidence and cumulative advanced-stage CRC incidence were calculated. Observed advanced-stage CRC incidence and cumulative advanced-stage CRC incidence were compared with expected advanced-stage CRC incidence and cumulative advanced-stage CRC incidence by invitation cohort using trend lines extrapolating data prior to the introduction of screening., Results: For the invitation cohort that was first invited for screening in 2014, advanced-stage CRC incidence increased before the introduction of screening from 94.1 to 124.7 per 100,000 individuals in the period 2010-2013. In 2014, the observed increase was higher than in preceding years, to 184.9 per 100,000 individuals. Hereafter, a decrease in incidence was observed to levels below expected incidence based on trends before the introduction of screening. A similar pattern was observed for invitation cohorts in subsequent years, coinciding with the first invitation to the screening programme. In 2019, the observed incidence for all invitation cohorts remained below expected incidence. The cumulative advanced-stage CRC incidence in the 2014-2016 invitation cohorts was significantly lower than the expected cumulative CRC incidence in the period 2010-2019., Conclusions: In the period 2014-2019, an increase in advanced-stage CRC incidence was observed for all invitation cohorts first invited for screening, followed by a decrease below expected incidence, following the pattern of the phased implementation. The cumulative advanced-stage CRC incidence in invitation cohorts invited for screening multiple times was lower than expected based on trends from the pre-screening era. These findings support a causal relationship between the introduction of the Dutch screening programme and a decrease in advanced-stage CRC incidence., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Manon C.W. Spaander received research support from Sentinel, Sysmex, Boston Scientific, Norgine and Medtronic. Evelien Dekker received endoscopic equipment on loan of Olympus and FujiFilm and research grant from FujiFilm; received honorarium for consultancy from FujiFilm, Tillots, Olympus, GI Supply, Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, PAION and Ambu; and a speakers' fee from Olympus, Roche, GI Supply, PAION and IPSEN. All other authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: In 2014, a population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme was stepwise implemented in the Netherlands comprising faecal immunochemical testing once every 2 years, with a cutoff value for positivity of 47 μg haemoglobin per g faeces. We aimed to assess CRC incidence, mortality, tumour characteristics, and treatment before and after introduction of this screening programme., Methods: We did a retrospective, observational, population-based study in the Netherlands and gathered CRC incidence data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry from Jan 1, 2010, to Dec 31, 2019, in people aged 55 years or older. Patients with a CRC diagnosis between Jan 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2018, in the Netherlands Cancer Registry were linked with the nationwide registry of histopathology and cytopathology (PALGA) to identify mode of detection (ie, screening-detected vs clinically detected). We calculated age-standardised CRC incidence rates and used data from Statistics Netherlands to calculate CRC-related mortality in 2010-19. We compared localisation, stage distribution, and treatment of screening-detected CRCs with clinically detected CRCs diagnosed in 2014-18 in patients aged 55-75 years., Findings: Between Jan 1, 2010, and Dec 31, 2019, 125 215 CRCs were diagnosed in individuals aged 55 years or older and were included in the analyses for CRC incidence. Before the introduction of the screening programme, the age-standardised CRC incidence rate was 214·3 per 100 000 population in 2013 in people aged 55 years or older. After the introduction of the screening programme, this rate initially increased to 259·2 per 100 000 population in 2015, and subsequently decreased to 181·5 per 100 000 population in 2019. Age-standardised incidence rates for advanced CRCs (stage III and IV) were 117·0 per 100 000 population in 2013 and increased to 122·8 per 100 000 population in 2015; this rate then decreased to 94·7 per 100 000 population in 2018. Age-standardised CRC mortality decreased from 87·5 deaths per 100 000 population in 2010 to 64·8 per 100 000 population in 2019. Compared with clinically detected CRCs, screening-detected CRCs were more likely to be located in the left side of the colon (48·6% vs 35·2%) and to be detected at an early stage (I or II; 66·7% vs 46·2%). Screening-detected CRCs were more likely to be treated by local excision compared with clinically detected CRCs, and this finding persisted when stage I CRCs were analysed separately., Interpretation: After introduction of this national screening programme, a decrease in overall and advanced-stage CRC incidence was observed. In view of this observation, together with the observed shift to detection at earlier stages and more screening-detected CRCs being treated by local excision, we might cautiously conclude that, in the long-term, faecal immunochemical testing-based screening could ultimately lead to a decrease in CRC-related morbidity and mortality., Funding: None., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests MCWS reports financial research support, FIT tubes, and analyses for research from Sysmex and Sentinel. GAM reports grants or contracts from Queen Wilhelmina Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Hartwig Medical Foundation, Sysmex, Central Health Fund Health Insurance, Dutch Digestive Foundation and Health-Holland, and Exact Sciences; has several patents pending concerning colorectal cancer early detection; participates in Amgen real world data group (no compensation); has a leadership function in Health-Research Infrastructure, European infrastructure for translational medicine Netherlands, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, and Biobanking Netherlands; has stock in CRCbioscreen; and has a research collaboration with Exact Sciences, Sysmex, Sentinel, Personal Genome Diagnostics, and the Hartwig Medical Foundation. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study compared the participation in four faecal immunochemical testing-based screening programmes for colorectal cancer in Flanders, France, Basque country and the Netherlands, to identify factors to further optimize faecal immunochemical testing programmes., Method: Background information and data on performance indicators were collected and compared for the four programmes., Results: Invitation method, reminders, funding, faecal immunochemical testing cut-off and follow-up after positive faecal immunochemical testing differed in the four programmes. In France, only an invitation letter is sent by mail, while the sample kit must be collected from the general practitioner. In the other programmes, an invitation letter including the sample kit is sent by mail. Participation rates vary substantially according to the method of invitation, with the highest participation rates in the Netherlands (73.0%) and Basque country (72.4%), followed by Flanders (54.5%) and France (28.6%). Basque country (92.8%) and France (88.4%), the two programmes with most active involvement of general practitioners in referral for colonoscopy, had the highest participation rates for colonoscopy., Conclusions: Large differences in screening participation observed between programmes according to the invitation method used suggest that changes to the design of the programme, such as including the sample kit with the invitation, or active involvement of GPs, might increase participation.

Background & Aims: After careful pilot studies and planning, the national screening program for colorectal cancer (CRC), with biennial fecal immunochemical tests (FITs), was initiated in The Netherlands in 2014. A national information system for real-time monitoring was developed to allow for timely evaluation. Data were collected from the first year of this screening program to determine the importance of planning and monitoring for optimal screening program performance., Methods: The national information system of the CRC screening program kept track of the number of invitations sent in 2014, FIT kits returned, and colonoscopies performed. Age-adjusted rates of participation, the number of positive test results, and positive predictive values (PPVs) for advanced neoplasia were determined weekly, quarterly, and yearly., Results: In 2014, there were 741,914 persons invited for FIT; of these, 529,056 (71.3%; 95% CI, 71.2%-71.4%) participated. A few months into the program, real-time monitoring showed that rates of participation and positive test results (10.6%; 95% CI, 10.5%-10.8%) were higher than predicted and the PPV was lower (42.1%; 95% CI, 41.3%-42.9%) than predicted based on pilot studies. To reduce the burden of unnecessary colonoscopies and alleviate colonoscopy capacity, the cut-off level for a positive FIT result was increased from 15 to 47 μg Hb/g feces halfway through 2014. This adjustment decreased the percentage of positive test results to 6.7% (95% CI, 6.6%-6.8%) and increased the PPV to 49.1% (95% CI, 48.3%-49.9%). In total, the first year of the Dutch screening program resulted in the detection of 2483 cancers and 12,030 advanced adenomas., Conclusions: Close monitoring of the implementation of the Dutch national CRC screening program allowed for instant adjustment of the FIT cut-off levels to optimize program performance., (Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)