Dr Vivek Misra and Dr Michael Braun summarise key points from the updated NICE guideline on colorectal cancer
Between 2015 and 2017, colorectal cancer was responsible for over 42,000 cancer cases in the UK, making it the fourth most common form of cancer.1 In the same period, it caused over 16,000 deaths annually; in 2017, this represented 10% of all cancer‑related deaths, making colorectal cancer the second most common cause of cancer-related death.1 The previous version of the NICE guideline, Clinical Guideline 131, was published in 2011, and updated guidance on the management of this common cancer was needed. NICE Guideline 151 was published in January 2020 to reflect advances in the treatment and management of colorectal cancer.2