Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Asia Pacific Topic Conference 2025 (APTC 2025), held on September 27 in conjunction with Taiwan Digestive Disease Week (TDDW) 2025.

With the theme “Fostering Population Colorectal Cancer Screening in Asia-Pacific”, APTC 2025 comes at a critical juncture. Across the region, colorectal cancer has become one of the fastest-growing cancer threats, with rising incidence and mortality in many Asian countries—often affecting individuals at a younger age and diagnosed at a more advanced stage. This growing burden underscores the urgent need to transition from fragmented, opportunistic screening to well-organized, population-based colorectal cancer screening programs.

This conference aims to promote cross-country collaboration, share successful models, and inspire action among clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. As part of this effort, we will explore how new technologies—particularly artificial intelligence and information systems—can be leveraged to enhance screening accuracy, risk stratification, and program quality.

A special Roundtable Discussion: Implementing Population Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs will provide a valuable platform for delegates from across the Asia-Pacific region to exchange experiences, challenges, and strategies. This session is intended to foster learning among countries where organized screening is still evolving, as well as to showcase lessons from those where programs are already well established. In addition, the Lower GI Joint Symposium of TDDW–JDDW–KDDW will take place within APTC 2025 under the theme “Nationwide Approaches to Optimize Detection of Early-Stage Neoplasms in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea”. This trilateral collaboration underscores our shared commitment to early detection and structured nationwide approaches in colorectal cancer control.

We look forward to welcoming you to APTC 2025 and to joining hands in building a stronger, more unified approach to reducing the burden of colorectal cancer in the Asia-Pacific region.

Warm regards,

Han-Mo Chiu, MD, PhD

Chairman, APTC 2025

Asia-Pacific Topic Conference on Colorectal Cancer Screening

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