ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Colorectal cancer accounts for 13% of all cancers in the United Kingdom, with around 35,300 new diagnoses and 16,000 deaths occurring each year (https://info.cancerresearchuk.org). Colorectal cancer is predominantly a disease associated with old age, with 80% of diagnoses being made in patients over the age of 60. As a result of longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates, the proportion of people in this age group is growing faster than any other. In the future, colorectal cancer is therefore sure to rise in prevalence (https://www.who.int/topics/ageing/en).
