In November 2024, Bowel Cancer Australia in collaboration with A/Prof Daniel Buchanan, Head of the Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne co-hosted a national, multidisciplinary Early-Onset Bowel Cancer Research Symposium.

The inaugural Symposium embraced the authentic patient voice and identified priorities and innovative research ideas focused on early-onset bowel cancer biology and aetiology, prevention and early detection, treatment, survivorship and recurrence.

Experts helped shape development of an Early-Onset Bowel Cancer Research Roadmap and Action Plan through shared knowledge and collaborative clinical and scientific efforts.

Bowel Cancer Australia is the trusted national voice in raising awareness of the rising rates of early-onset bowel cancer and through its #Never2Younhg Advocacy Agenda, seeks to improve care experiences and health outcomes for younger people through research advocacy into the causes of early-onset bowel cancer, that has the potential to improve survival and/or help build a path towards a cure.

A/Prof Buchanan is a NHMRC Emerging Leadership Investigator Fellow and a University of Melbourne Dame Kate Campbell Fellow. He leads a multi-disciplinary research program focused on understanding the causes of bowel cancer to inform precision prevention and early detection. The ANGELS and Genetics of Colonic Polyposis Studies use genomics to identify the aetiology of early-onset bowel cancer, and idiopathic polyposis cases that remain a significant clinical challenge.

Thank you, A/Prof Daniel Buchanan, Dr Celine Garrett, Dr Gaston Arnolda, Prof Ingrid Winship, Dr Jacob McCormick, Dr Kirsty Campbell, Dr Lisa Mielke, Dr Lochlan Fennell, Prof Mark Jenkins, Prof Mark Molloy, and Prof Michael Samuel for sharing your latest research, valuable insights, and collaborative intent. Special thanks to Nina Di Santo for sharing her lived experience.

Why is bowel cancer in young Australians rising?

Associate Professor Daniel Buchanan, University of Melbourne