[Health Council advice on the Dutch national colorectal cancer screening program]

In this commentary the recently published Health Council evaluation and optimization report on the Dutch national colorectal cancer screening program is discussed. Besides several recommendations, the Health Council is reluctant to recommend changes to the current screening program. This because the screening program just has been fully implemented since 2019. Definitive conclusions about mortality reduction due to colorectal cancer cannot yet be made. However, there is a clear downward trend in the screening population. Recommended is to initiate a regional pilot study with a lower starting age of 50 years, instead of the currently 55 years. Unfortunately, in accordance with several international guidelines, the starting age is not already being lowered. Furthermore, the current screening program offers the ideal opportunity to analyze more systematically familial colorectal cancer risk in persons with a positive FIT. Also, more attention is needed on how to better reach men between 55-59 years.