Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. While mortality rates are in decline in most westernised countries, global estimates predict that CRC incidence and cancer-related mortality rates are going to rise by 77% and 80%, respectively, by 2030. The development of CRC is multifactorial and risk factors include various lifestyle, genetic, and environmental factors. It has been estimated that at least half of CRC cases could be prevented by a reduction in known modifable lifestyle-related risk factors. Further reductions in CRC incidence and mortality can be achieved through screening, which can be delivered using a range of different modalities, such as sigmoidoscopy, and guaiac-based or immunological faecal tests. These different methods have differing cancer detection rates, and uptake rates among the population, and will have a differential impact on the changing shape of CRC incidence and mortality across populations.

We invite research scientists and other investigators to contribute original research papers in addition to review articles that address recent developments in the understanding of lifestyle, genetic, environmental, and other aetiological risk factors for CRC; developments in screening tests or strategies for CRC; interventions to reduce CRC incidence and mortality; and the effect changing trends in lifestyle and screening may have on patterns of the disease in future.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors over the life course and their relationship to CRC risk
• Mechanisms underlying the relationship between genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors and CRC risk, including socioeconomic circumstances
• Interactions between risk factors (e.g. between lifestyle factors and between lifestyle and genetic factors) and their relationship to CRC risk
• Demographic and psychological predictors of adherence to behaviours that can reduce CRC risk, e.g. lifestyle factors and screening uptake
• Interventions to reduce CRC incidence or mortality and their potential impact, such as, lifestyle interventions, chemoprevention, and methods to increase screening uptake
• Interventions and strategies to target populations at different levels of risk of CRC; e.g., those at average risk, or higher risk groups such as people with precancerous lesions or cancer
• The effect of changing patterns in lifestyle, screening methods, or screening uptake on the changing incidence and mortality of CRC at the population-level or within population subgroups