The 5 common factors ‘behind surge in early-onset bowel cancer’ revealed

FIVE key causes of bowel cancer in young people have been flagged by scientists.

A paper published by Oxford University Press looked at the surge of young gastrointestinal cancers, which includes the stomach, liver, pancreas, intestine, colon and anus. 

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Bowel cancer is increasingly diagnosed in under-50s and experts are blaming the modern lifestyle[/caption]

The authors, led by the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, gave a review of what could be behind the trend, noting that it is not yet clear.

In Europe, the worst increase is among people in their 20s, with a 7.9 per cent increase over 12 years, according to a study of 20 nations.

An 185 per cent jump has been reported in Americans aged 20 to 24 years by the Centers for Disease Control.

Early-onset bowel cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death for men under 50 and the second-leading cause for women under 50 in the US.

But younger people are facing delays in diagnosis as cancer is often not suspected until later.

In the UK, bowel cancer cases are still the highest in people aged 85 to 89, and three cases a year are diagnosed in under-30s, according to Cancer Research UK.

But its stats show that one in every 20 bowel cancer cases occurs under the age of 50.

A major review published in The Lancet Oncology found that England experienced a 3.6 per cent per year rise in the rate of early-onset bowel cancer in the decade to 2017.

It was the fourth fastest rise recorded, compared to four per cent per year in New Zealand and Chile, and 3.8 per cent in Puerto Rico.

The researchers said associated risk factors include obesity, a Western-style diet, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, smoking, and alcohol.

Alcohol consumption shows up to a 71 per cent higher risk, one review of research showed. Smoking also was, but at a lesser rate (35 per cent).

Due to various studies being used, the researchers did not clarify how much alcohol becomes risky, but the NHS suggest a ‘safe’ limit of 14 units per week. Some studies compared people who drink alcohol to people who never do.

Meanwhile, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, when there is a build-up of fat in the liver, already has a number of well-known risks. One in five young adults show signs of it, according to research carried out by the University of Bristol last year.

Obesity – as well as obesity in adolescence and maternal obesity – has been shown to increase early-onset bowel cancer risk.

It was defined by the authors as a BMI over 30.

In a 2019 study of 85,000 women in the US, those with a BMI over 30 had close to double the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer compared to women with lower BMIs.

Some features of a Western diet – including sugary drinks and sedentary behaviour – have been linked with an increased risk of early-onset bowel cancer, the authors noted.

One study spanning 10 years, of 95,000 women, revealed that women who drank more than two sugary drinks each day had a 2.2-fold higher risk of early bowel cancer.

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Being sedentary – and not exercising – could be upping your cancer risk[/caption]

A study last year of 86,000 British people found going for two walks a day reduced the risk of bowel cancer by 11 per cent compared to being inactive.

Other than lifestyle factors that can be changed, the authors said “most cases occur sporadically”.

“The incidence of GI cancers in adults younger than age 50 is rising globally,” said the paper’s lead author, Prof Sara Char, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

“Ongoing research efforts investigating the biology of early-onset GI cancers are critical to developing more effective screening, prevention, and treatment strategies.”

Sun writer Dame Deborah James raised awareness of disease in young people via The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign before her death from bowel cancer aged 40 in 2022.

The NHS sends at-home sampling kits to everyone aged 54 to 74 every two years.

These look for blood in your poo, which could be a sign of bowel cancer.