Bowel cancer rates are rising most rapidly among adults aged 40, MailOnline analysis shows.
Experts admit they are baffled by what is triggering the “epidemic” of the disease, long considered a disease of the elderly.
Although diagnoses are skyrocketing among those under 50 overall, the alarming trend is not universal across all age groups.
NHS England figures show bowel cancer rates have risen most rapidly among men aged 40 to 44 since Covid.
In 2019, 283 men in this age group were diagnosed with the disease.
This equated to a rate of 16.6 per 100,000, or one per 6,000.
However, by 2022, according to the most recent figures for the year available, the figure has shot up 57 per cent, with 26.1 diagnoses per 100,000 men aged 40 to 44.
That’s equivalent to one in every 3,800 men in their 40s being diagnosed with the disease each year.
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Experts admit they are baffled by what is triggering the “epidemic” of the disease, long considered a disease of the elderly.
Women in the same age group experienced the next largest increase, spiraling 50 percent over the four-year period.
Some 447 women between 40 and 44 years old received the news that they had the disease in 2022, the equivalent of one in every 4,200.
Among under-50s overall, bowel cancer remained most prevalent between ages 45 and 49, reflecting what experts know about age being the biggest risk factor.
Researchers investigating the trend say England’s epidemic is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world.
Amid rising rates, NHS bosses have announced they will lower the screening age for bowel cancer to 50. This marks a major victory for Dame Deborah James, who led calls for younger people to be tested for the disease. He died from the disease in 2022 at the age of 40.
Experts believe that poor diets full of ultra-processed foods, obesity and lack of exercise could be responsible for this alarming trend.
Some scientists believe these factors may be driving “accelerated aging,” in which biological aging exceeds people’s actual age.
Professor Karol Sikora, a world-renowned oncologist with more than 40 years of experience, said that while the rise in cancer among young people still baffles doctors, it is not a new phenomenon.
He told MailOnline: ‘There’s no doubt about it, it’s a real and profound change around the world.
‘It’s something that’s been going on for about 30 years and the whole trend seems to be returning to lifestyle choices that encompass diet and exercise.
“Some are increasing dramatically and we have no idea why, but clearly something has changed in early-onset cases in young people.”
MailOnline’s analysis looked at the 14 general cancer groups, including pancreas, lung and breast.
Types that rarely affect younger adults, such as the prostate and kidney, were excluded because of their very small number.
Some types, such as eye cancer in girls, saw even greater increases than bowel cancer.
However, the numbers were so low that experts said it was difficult to determine their significance.
Professor Pat Price, oncologist and Chair of Radiotherapy UK, warned that the growth of bowel cancer among young people presented a “serious challenge to public health”.
He said: “This trend may take years to reverse and the Department of Health and the NHS have an immediate responsibility to ensure that higher rates of cancer are met with adequate investment in both diagnosis and treatment.”
“Without urgent action to expand treatment capacity, more people will face a life-threatening diagnosis without adequate access to life-saving care.”
Professor Price added: ‘It is also essential to dispel misinformation.
“Covid vaccines do not cause cancer and therefore to stay safe, people should prioritize attending cancer screening appointments when they are offered and choose healthier lifestyles.”
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Top doctors were also alarmed by the increasing number of young women being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms due to its subtle symptoms that are harder to detect until the later stages, when it is harder to treat.
Only one in 20 patients is expected to survive a decade after their diagnosis.
Thyroid cancer has also seen worrying growth in young women, particularly those between 20 and 24 years old.
The subtype that grew the most regardless of gender or age was Hodgkin lymphoma, which saw growth in ten of the 22 different age subtypes between men and women.
The disease affects the body’s lymphatic system, the part of the immune system responsible for fighting germs and disease.
However, the disease carries a relatively high survival rate: NHS guidelines warn that eight in ten people with the disease live for at least five years, and of those, the majority will be cured.
The older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with cancer. Sixty-six years is the average age of diagnosis, statistics suggest.
Cancer Research UK found that almost 35,000 people aged 25 to 49 were diagnosed with cancer in 2019, more than ever before.