Background: Demographic aging is expected to increase the number of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases in many countries. Screening for CRC can substantially reduce the disease burden but its use has remained rather limited in Germany. We aimed to quantify the expected impact of demographic aging on the future CRC burden and the potential to reduce that burden by increased use of screening colonoscopy offers in Germany.
Methods: We obtained sex- and age-specific data on colonoscopy use from AOK, the biggest health insurance provider in Germany, and combined these with the projected demographic development and current CRC incidence rates. We estimated the number of new CRC cases until 2060, assuming screening colonoscopy use to be constant or to increase to between 1·5 and 3 times the current levels.
Findings: Ten-year screening colonoscopy utilization rates were low (<20% in both sexes in all age groups). Assuming no change in screening colonoscopy use, the overall annual caseload was predicted to increase from approximately 62,000 cases in 2020 to more than 70,000 cases by the year 2040 and more than 75,000 cases by 2050. To avoid increasing case numbers, an increase of screening colonoscopy use to more than 3 times current levels would be needed.
Interpretation: At current levels of screening use, the strong effects of the demographic aging imply that the CRC caseload will significantly increase in the decades to come. CRC screening efforts will need to be substantially increased to even maintain the current level of incident cases.
Funding: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant 01GL1712).
Keywords: Adherence; Colonoscopy; Colorectal cancer; Forecasting; Screening.
© 2022 The Author(s).