Importance of screening colonoscopy and endoscopic procedures in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer

Carcinoma of the colon and rectum is one of the most frequent gender-independent neoplasias in the western world. The causes of this are manifold and, in addition to our increasing life expectancy, are largely due to our western lifestyle and nutritional habits. However, in recent years we have succeeded in significantly reducing the number of new cases of this type of cancer. A central driver of this development is the tumor prevention program, which was implemented in 2002 and allows not only early detection of carcinoma but also the effective removal of precancerous lesions in the intestine. In this article, we discuss new developments and organizational implementation of endoscopic screening for malignant neoplasms of the colorectum. In addition, innovative endoscopic options in screening and treatment of precancerous and early malignant lesions are evaluated with respect to their diagnostic value and therapeutic effectiveness. The screening program for early detection and prevention of colorectal carcinoma and the endoscopic technologies developed around this program represent a milestone in the prevention of colorectal cancer.