MINI REVIEW article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gastrointestinal Cancers: Colorectal Cancer
This article is part of the Research TopicReviews in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Colorectal CancerView all articles
Advances in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Technological Innovations, Guideline Discrepancies, and Individualized Strategies
Provisionally accepted
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Numerous clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that early screening can significantly reduce both the incidence and mortality of CRC. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in CRC screening technologies. It first reviews the current applications of traditional screening tools such as colonoscopy and fecal occult blood tests, then focuses on emerging molecular detection techniques based on DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites, as well as representative multi-omics integration approaches. Furthermore, it discusses the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) and image recognition technologies in CRC screening. At the guideline level, we compare recent updates and implementation differences among major national screening guidelines, including those of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and analyze key challenges in current screening practices. Finally, we propose directions for future development. By integrating existing evidence, this review aims to provide clinical reference for transforming CRC screening from population-based to precision-based individualized prevention, promoting its wide, efficient, and sustainable implementation.
Keywords: colorectal cancer, Screening technology, Early detection, guidelinediscrepancies, Molecular diagnostics, artificial intelligence
Received: 12 Oct 2025; Accepted: 14 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tang, Zhao, Wang, Zhang and Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Mu Zhang, 1069667039@qq.com
Jiehao Huang, 355610093@qq.com
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