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Early age onset colorectal cancer patients have unique needs and challenges in their journeys. This space will furnish you with support and information on your disease. You will be able to find documents with statistics and information on diagnosis and treatment options, as well as contact information to reach our warm and committed staff. We have launched our new live chatbot, which now appears in the bottom right hand corner of your screen. We are so happy to be able to help you on your journey.
A diagnosis of early age onset colorectal cancer (EAOCRC) can be overwhelming, but having knowledge of the disease and of potential therapies available to you can make it more manageable. We have created several resources that thoroughly outline pertinent information on colorectal cancer and its treatment options. Please see below to learn more about EAOCRC and potential therapeutic treatments.
What our members have to say about CCRAN’s Early Age Onset programs and services.
Click on the Chatbot at the bottom right-hand side of the screen to connect with us. You will have an opportunity to ask questions of our experts from our Medical & Scientific Advisory Board regarding your case. Messages to our Medical & Scientific Advisory Board members will be triaged, sent accordingly, and responded to in a timely manner.
The following physicians have graciously agreed to serve as the experts for this program:
We look forward to chatting with you! For any help with troubleshooting, please email Cassandra Macaulay at cassandra.m@ccran.org.
CCRAN is proud to partner with Sunnybrook's Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Clinic in Toronto, Ontario.
People under the age of 50 may have unique challenges and concerns related to a colorectal cancer diagnosis. These challenges and concerns may include:
The Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Clinic offers a multidisciplinary team of experts to address these unique challenges, to assist patients throughout their colorectal cancer journey, and to create an individualized treatment plan. Their team offers high-quality and comprehensive care to help fill the gap for young adult patients with colorectal cancer.
To learn more, please click below to visit the Sunnybrook Young Adult Cancer Clinic site.
In 2021, CCRAN held the first of a series of symposia dedicated to early age onset colorectal cancer, targeting primary care physicians as our primary audience at the first symposium, in addition to patients, individuals and organizations from the cancer care community, other health care professionals, researchers, academia, and policy makers.
Why Was The Symposium Held?
In recent years, unprecedented numbers of younger people have approached the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) for information and support after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Our perceptions of colorectal cancer as a disease of older people have been altered after hearing the dramatic stories from people in their 20s, 30s and 40s whose lives have been devastated by this disease. When CCRAN’s Scientific Advisory Panel confirmed our suspicions that early-age-onset colorectal cancer was indeed an escalating concern, we decided to take action. We were concerned with the rising incidence, within Canada and around the world, of colorectal tumours occurring in people under the age of 50. Tumours in this age group are found to be at a later stage when diagnosed and, consequently, the treatment protocols are aggressive, and outcomes are poor. The impact on the patients and their families is enormous, and we have lost so many with full and promising lives ahead of them.
The concept of the first symposium was to start the conversation in Canada. Our objectives for this meeting were:
1. To strategize a response to the rise in early age onset colorectal cancer in Canada.
2. To “set the stage” and educate on the issues related to colorectal cancer in people under 50.
3. To influence practice change amongst primary care physicians to support early diagnosis.
During the second symposium (October 27-28, 2022), we offered two half-days of patient and expert panels to explore the following topics, among others:
1. Identify and address the needs of young patients with colorectal cancer, as they may differ from those diagnosed after the age of 50.
2. Explore opportunities to promote early detection and comprehensive colorectal cancer care patient pathways.
3. Share best practices from the US- and Canada-based young adult colorectal cancer clinics and discuss how to optimize EAOCRC management.
4. Review advancements in colorectal cancer diagnoses and treatments.
CCRAN's 3rd Early Age Onset Cancer (EAOC) Symposium (October 26-27, 2023) brought together over 60 clinical and health policy experts, patients, caregivers and researchers for two days of insightful discussions, practical solutions and invaluable connections.
In 2023, the symposium expanded its objective to include multiple tumour types and key topics of discussion included:
1. Improving around the incidence and prevalence of EAOC.
2. Address system-level challenges limiting early detection of EAOC with discussion through a value-based healthcare lens.
3. Stimulating discourse on optimal care and treatment pathways, including the relevance of real-world evidence & the value of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in helping to ameliorate the patient’s journey.
4. Presenting strategies to enhance the survivorship journey to ameliorate the EAOC patient’s quality of life.
The outcomes of the symposia series have been captured in publications, which may be viewed HERE.
SAVE THE DATE! CCRAN’s 4th Annual Early Age Onset Cancer Symposium is scheduled for November 14 – 15, 2024 and will address additional tumour types!
2023 EARLY AGE ONSET CANCER VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM
2022 EARLY AGE ONSET CRC VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM
2021 EARLY AGE ONSET CRC VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM
