Update on Surveillance Recommendations for Individuals with a Family/Whānau History of Colorectal Cancer

The purpose of this document is to update the 2012 NZ Guidelines Group surveillance recommendations for the second broad group: individuals with a family/whānau history of colorectal cancer. This update brings the guidelines into line with recent international guidance and with the change in New Zealand now that we have completed the rollout of the National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP) and initiated the lowering of the age of eligibility for Māori and Pacific people from 60 to 50 years. This document is intended for patients currently on ongoing colonoscopy surveillance as well as those who will have surveillance in the future.

It is noted that although these recommendations are comprehensive, there will be some clinical scenarios that are not explicitly outlined and should therefore be managed by clinicians using the underlying principles outlined in this document.

This update is designed to dovetail with the Update on Polyp Surveillance Guidelines 2020, published by Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

Surveillance recommendations for those with personal history of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease are outside the scope of this update.