Foreword

Each year in March, Endoscopy, together with many other organizations and entities, supports Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Therefore, this issue of the journal is devoted to colorectal cancer and related topics.

Colorectal cancer remains one of the major cancers worldwide. Each year, more than 1.4 million new patients are diagnosed with the disease, and more than 500 000 die from it. While encouraging trends have been observed in some Western countries with a declining incidence and mortality, a considerable increase in colorectal cancer is expected in middle-income countries in the future.

A distinctive feature of colorectal cancer is its development from well-defined precursors, colorectal polyps, over a long period of time. This is why endoscopy is the standard-bearer, not only for swift reliable detection of colorectal cancer, but, more importantly, for potential prevention of the disease by high quality detection and removal of colorectal polyps.

This issue of Endoscopy features important new research on both detection and treatment of colorectal polyps:

Monika Ferlitsch has led a large group of European experts to summarize the current knowledge for high quality colorectal polypectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). In this issue, you can read their recommendations in their new European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Clinical Guideline.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal neoplasms is a topic of discussion and debate. The journal presents here two original articles, one from Japan and one from Europe, that report on what can be achieved with ESD today, accompanied by editorial comment from world experts in polypectomy.

But before we can remove polyps, we need to see them. Several papers in this issue of Endoscopy report on important developments for improved quality of colonoscopy and detection of polyps and cancers by advances in instrumentation, imaging, and technique.

Don’t miss out on the latest developments in colorectal cancer during the 2017 awareness month. Enjoy reading!

Michael Bretthauer
Mario Dinis-Ribeiro
Peter D. Siersema
on behalf of the editors