[Guidelines for the full-course management of early colorectal cancer (2025 version)]

Colorectal cancer is one of the highly prevalent malignant tumors in China, posing a serious threat to the life and health of residents. Currently, the relatively low rates of early diagnosis and early treatment in China have become a bottleneck restricting the further improvement of the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. The standardized whole-course management of early colorectal cancer will promote the homogeneity and standardization of the diagnosis and treatment of early colorectal cancer in China, and improve the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Led by the Colorectal Surgery Group of the Chinese Society of Surgery (Chinese Medical Association) and the Colorectal Surgery Special Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Hospital Association, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University organized experts from disciplines including surgery, endoscopy, pathology, radiology, epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, health economics, and health management to establish an expert group for guideline development. Based on the guideline development principles and methods recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the group conducted clinical questionnaires and expert discussions, and after evidence retrieval and evaluation, formulated the Guideline for whole-course management of early colorectal cancer (2025 edition). This guideline covers clinical issues such as screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of early colorectal cancer. It also organizes 33 relevant recommendations in accordance with the methods for developing evidence-based guidelines. The purpose of this guideline is to establish a standardized management pathway covering the entire life cycle, improve the early diagnosis rate, cure rate, and quality of life for early colorectal cancer, and contribute to the strategic goal of "Healthy China 2030".