Early Onset Colorectal Cancer Workgroup

In February 2019, Fight CRC convened a global, multidisciplinary working group to explore sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer, or cancer in young adults that is not linked to an inherited or genetic predisposition.

Experts who attended the February 2019 meeting included epidemiologists, biostatisticians, oncologists, and researchers from the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. A manuscript of the meeting summary was published in the August 2019 edition of Gastroenterology, followed by a commentary also published in Gastroenterology in December 2019. Additionally, Fight CRC was recently published in an ASCO Educational Book for our research on EAO CRC.

Early Onset Colorectal Cancer International Symposium

In partnership with the medical community from the Jiménez Díaz Foundation Hospital in Madrid, Spain, Fight CRC virtually co-hosted the 2nd annual Early-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer International Symposium in June 2020. As EAO CRC has been on the rise, it is necessary to convene together global leaders in the field to bring attention to the rise in cases and understand the causes of these striking increases. During this webinar, thought leaders, researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates spent time discussing the current burden of EAO CRC and explored a collaborative path forward.

Read the full summary of the 2nd International EAO Symposium.

Workgroup Resources

View the resources below to learn more about the initial workgroup meeting: 

• One-Pager Summary 
• Summary slides: Shareable slides highlighting takeaways from the meeting
• Data Repository List: Created based on input from all workgroup members of current research studies that could help answer “why” sporadic early-age onset colorectal cancer is rising
• Participant and Research Group Summaries: Conclusions reached by each group 

The workgroup continues to meet both virtually and at live events to understand the most important approaches to addressing colorectal cancer in young adults, both in the United States and internationally. To stay updated on our work around early-onset colorectal cancer, be sure to sign up for our Patient and Research Resource eGuide, follow our blog, and @FightCRC and @EarlyOnsetCRC on social media!

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Workgroup Research Learning Series

To continue on the momentum of the symposium, Fight CRC is hosting a series of online workshops and learning opportunities for anyone interested in getting involved in the Fight CRC Early-Age Onset Workgroup. A series of two-hour sessions will be hosted every other month from July 2020-May 2021.

July 2020 Session: Intro to the EAO Workgroup

September 2020 Session: Unraveling EAO CRC Disparities Worldwide

November 2020 Session: On-Time Screening based on Family History and Average Risk, Implications for Clinical Practice

January 2021 Session: The Role of Gene-Environment Interactions on Early-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer

March 2021 Session: Stool based colorectal cancer screening

May 2021 Session: Challenges and Opportunities in Achieving Health Equity

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From the Fight CRC Blog: Early-Age Onset CRC

Resources for Young Adult Patients and Survivors

EAO CRC patients and survivors face issues specific to younger populations, such as sexual health and family planning, as well as impacts to their careers. Fight CRC is here to help and offers healthcare providers free printed resources, in addition to these digital resources.

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Meet the Early Onset Colorectal Cancer Workgroup

Richard Boland, MD, Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology)
University of California San Diego School of Medicine
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal Cancer Genetics

Phillip Buckhaults, PhD, Associate Professor
The University of South Carolina
Scientific expertise: Cancer genetics

Yin Cao, ScD, MPH, Associate Professor
Washington University in St. Louis
Scientific Expertise:Colorectal cancer epidemiology and risk prediction

Andrea Cercek, MD, Section Head Colorectal Oncology, Assistant Attending Gastrointestinal Oncology
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal Cancer

Andrew Chan, MD, MPH Professor of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal cancer epidemiology

Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, Research Scientist, Attending Gastroenterologist
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Scientific Expertise: 

Phil Daschner, Program Director
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
Scientific Expertise: Biologic carcinogenesis, Microbiome in cancer, GI cancer

Noel de Miranda, PhD, Assistant Professor
Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Scientific expertise: Colorectal cancer genetics and immunology

Joshua Demb, PhD, Cancer Epidemiologist
University of California San Diego
Scientific expertise: Cancer Epidemiology

Dusty Deming, MD, Associate Professor*
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center
Scientific expertise: Colorectal cancer biology and experimental therapeutics

Luis Diaz, MD, Head, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology*
Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Genetics

Roberto Flores, PhD, MS, MPH, Program Director
National Cancer Institute, Rockville MD, USA
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Prevention/ Microbiome/Nutrition

Richard Goldberg, MD, Professor
West Virginia University, Morgantown WV
Scientific Expertise: colorectal cancer drug development

Samir Gupta, MD
VA San Diego/University of California San Diego
Scientific Expertise: colorectal cancer, clinical epidemiology

Heather Hampel, MS, LGC, Associate Director, Division of Human Genetics & Genetic counselor
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Genetics

Richard Hayes, DDS, MPH, PhD, Professor
NYU Langone Health, New York, USA
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Epidemiology

Andreana N. Holowatyj, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
Scientific Expertise: Molecular Cancer Epidemiology, Cancer Biology, Cancer Health Disparities

Hisham Hussan, MD, Assistant Professor
Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio
Scientific Expertise: Obesity, microbiome, early onset GI cancers

Jordan Karlitz, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Tulane, New Orleans
Scientific Expertise: Early Onset CRC, Hereditary Syndromes

Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD, FACP, Associate Professor*
MD Anderson, Houston, TX
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal Cancer

Violet Kuchar†, Patient Advocate
Washington D.C.
Stage IV rectal cancer survivor

Jeffrey Lee, MD, MAS, Research Scientist, Gastroenterologist
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal cancer screening and post-polypectomy surveillance

Caleb Levell, Program Manager, NCCRT
American Cancer Society (HQ: Atlanta; Work Remote: Indianapolis)
Expertise: Nonprofit Management / Coalition Building

Christopher Lieu, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine*
University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal Cancer – Drug Development

Paul Limburg, MD, MPH, Co-Chief Medical Officer (Exact Sciences) and Professor of Medicine (Mayo Clinic)
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Scientific Expertise: Gastroenterology and Preventive Oncology

Holli Loomans- Kropp, MPH, PhD, Cancer Prevention Fellow
National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
Scientific Expertise: Gastrointestinal cancers; biomarker identification

Jan Lowery, PhD, MPH, Associate Director for Clinical Operations
University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Epidemiology

Patrick Mahoney, Advocacy Relations Manager
National Cancer Institute

Jessica Martin†, PhD, Fight CRC Research Advocate
Denver, CO
Stage IV colon cancer survivor 

Christine Molmenti, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine, Northwell Health – New York (Long Island/New York City)
Scientific Expertise: Primary and secondary prevention of colorectal cancer through screening/early detection and lifestyle

Caitlin Murphy, PhD, Assistant Professor
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Scientific Expertise: Epidemiology of GI cancers, colorectal cancer screening, health disparities

Claire Palles, BSc, PhD, Junior Group Leader
University of Birmingham, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham, UK
Scientific Expertise: Cancer predisposition

Swati Patel, MD, Assistant Professor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Scientific Expertise: Medicine- Gastroenterology

Jose Perea Garcia, MD, PhD
Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal cancer; Prof: Colorectal surgeon

Curt Pesmen, Fight CRC Research Advocate
Boulder, CO
Stage III Rectal Cancer Survivor

Betsy Risendal, PhD, Associate Professor, Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Member, Cancer Prevention and Control Program
University of Colorado Cancer Center
Scientific expertise: Cancer epidemiology, program evaluation and pragmatic/mixed methods study designs, community and behavioral interventions for cancer prevention and control.

Paul C. Schroy III, MD, MPH, Emeritus Professor of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal Cancer Screening, Epidemiology

Cindy Sears, MD, Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)*
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Scientific Expertise: Bacteria and the microbiome

Rebecca Siegel, MPH, Scientific Director, Surveillance Research
American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, US
Scientific Expertise: Cancer surveillance research, with a specific interest in young-onset CRC

Robert Smith, PhD, Senior Director, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology
National Office of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University School of Medicine.
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Epidemiologist

Ryan Soisson, Facilitator, Founder Soisson and Associates
Austin, Texas

Mingyang Song, MD, ScD, Assistant Professor
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA 

Ian Tomlinson, PhD, FRCPath, FMedSci, Professor
University of Birmingham, UK
Scientific Expertise: Cancer genetics and evolution

Anil Wali, PhD, Program Director
NCI, NIH Bethesda, Maryland
Scientific Expertise: Cancer Health Disparities 

Steve Waring, DVM, PhD, Principal Scientist
Essentia Institute of Rural Health, Duluth MN USA
Scientific Expertise: Epidemiology 

Karen Wehling, Fight CRC Research Advocate
Denver, CO
Stage IV Rectal Cancer Survivor

Matthew Young, Program Officer
National Cancer Institute, Rockville MD
Scientific Expertise: GI cancer, CRC, cancer prevention, Biomarkers 

Ann Zauber, PhD, Member, Attending Biostatistician
Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, NY
Scientific Expertise: Colorectal cancer prevention and health policy