The Causes of the Global Increase in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer (ECCE) project is a research project funded by the European Research Council Synergy 2025 Grant (ERC SyG grant no. 101224262). The aim is to uncover some of the still-unknown causes of colorectal cancer by identifying the biological traces that environmental and microbial exposures leave behind in human DNA. These mutational signatures act like molecular fingerprints, helping us to understand how cancer develops and why rates are rising, particularly among younger adults.

By combining cutting-edge genomic technologies, international epidemiological resources, and world-leading scientific expertise, ECCE brings together researchers across disciplines to tackle one of the most urgent questions in cancer research today. This work spans populations, biobanks, and advanced sequencing approaches to generate new evidence on the origins of colorectal cancer.

Ultimately, ECCE seeks to generate knowledge that can support future prevention strategies, improve risk assessment, and help reduce the burden of colorectal cancer for future generations.