The number of under-50s with bowel cancer in England is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, a major study warns.
While cases of early-onset bowel cancer, defined as those aged 25 to 49, are rising globally, the rate of the disease in England is growing by an average of 3.6 per cent each year, one of the fastest increases.
Experts believe that poor diet, the increase in ultra-processed foods, obesity and lack of exercise could be responsible for this alarming trend.
The study found that bowel cancer rates in young people increased in 27 of the 50 countries studied in the decade to 2017.
American Cancer Society researchers, who led the research, said the rise in early-onset cancers is no longer limited to high-income Western countries but is now a “global phenomenon.”
The increase was seen in 14 mainly high-income Western countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Scotland.
The largest declines in early bowel cancer incidence were found in Chile (4 percent annual increase on average), New Zealand (4 percent), Puerto Rico (3.8 percent), and England (3.6 percent). hundred).
In contrast, the United States only recorded a 2.1 percent increase, ranking 16th, behind Canada with a 2.8 percent increase and Australia with 3 percent.
While Iceland recorded a 7 percent increase, the highest in the study, the data behind this calculation was considered less reliable than other countries with high increases.
Young women were found to have faster increases in rates of early bowel cancer than men if they lived in England, Norway, Australia, Turkey, Costa Rica and Scotland.
In contrast, bowel cancer rates tended to remain stable or decline in older adults in many countries, including England, partly due to the effectiveness of cancer screening programs.
The research also recorded the actual incidence rates of bowel cancer in the countries surveyed.
Australia had the highest rate with 16.5 cases per 100,000 young people each year.
This was followed by the US territory of Puerto Rico with 15.2 cases per 100,000 youth per year and New Zealand with 14.8 cases per 100,000 people.
England ranked 17th in this ranking with 11.4 cases per 100,000 people per year, with other British nations in similar positions. Northern Ireland came 16th, Wales 18th and Scotland 19th.
Dr. Hyuna Sung, senior scientist at the American Cancer Society, said, “The global reach of this troubling trend highlights the need for innovative tools to prevent and control cancers related to dietary habits, physical inactivity, and excess weight.” body weight.
‘Raising awareness of the trend and various symptoms of early-onset colorectal cancer (e.g., rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, and unexplained weight loss) among youth and primary care providers may help reduce delays in diagnosis and reduce mortality. ‘
Experts say the exact reasons behind the disturbing and now increasingly global rise in colon cancer cases are still unknown.
The authors of the new study highlighted that bowel cancer rates in several countries surveyed increased in line with economic prosperity.
They theorized that this could represent a shift away from traditional diets and greater consumption of meat and ultra-processed foods, which has likely contributed to the increase.
However, they added that the contributing factors are likely to differ given the diversity in diets around the world and other health metrics such as the prevalence of obesity, which has also been linked to cancer risk.
Cancer Research UK highlighted that rates of bowel cancer in younger adults remain low: only around one in 20 bowel cancers in the UK are diagnosed in people under 50.
However, chief executive Michelle Mitchell said this landmark study has revealed for the first time that rates are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world.
He said: “A cancer diagnosis at any age has a huge impact on patients and their families; therefore, while it is important to note that rates in younger adults remain very low compared to people over 50 years, we need to understand what is causing this trend in younger people.’
Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your stool, a change in bowel habit, or a lump inside the intestine that can cause blockages. Some people also experience weight loss as a result of these symptoms.
Data provided by the charity up to 2019 suggests that bowel cancer has seen a 52 per cent increase in incidence rates among adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s.
Every year there are around 2,600 new cases of bowel cancer in people aged 25 to 49 in the UK and around 44,100 new cases among all ages.
It comes a day after US research suggested ultra-processed foods are causing chronic inflammation in the gut, which can lead to the disease.
They suggested switching from foods such as cured meats, mass-produced bread and ice cream in favor of healthier alternatives such as oily fish, fruit and vegetables is “vital” to avoiding the disease.
Commenting on new findings published in Lancet oncologyDr Sarah Bailey, associate professor of community and health sciences at the University of Exeter Medical School, said it was vital to carry out more research to understand the trend.
‘The reasons for this trend are not fully understood, but it is clear that we must look for the underlying causes.
“As rates increase in younger adults, we will need to explore how we can expand our strategies to detect early cases in this group as well.”
When Ellie Wilcock experienced sudden pain in her abdomen, she assumed a urinary tract infection (UTI) was to blame. After all, it was something the then 25-year-old had experienced before.
But the real cause was a cancer that kills almost 17,000 Britons every year. Ellie, now 27, from Peterborough, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, the most serious type of the disease.
Dr David Robert Grimes, a biostatistician at Trinity College Dublin, said comparing international cancer data is difficult given the variation in data quality, but the findings indicated a global increase.
However, he urged caution about the possible reasons for this trend: “This study cannot tell us why this might be the case, nor why it is not consistent across countries.”
‘Therefore, it is crucial that we do not over-interpret such findings. It could mean, for example, that screening and improved detection allow us to detect cancer earlier.’
In recent years, multiple heartbreaking stories have emerged of young people in the prime of their lives being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Perhaps the most recognizable victim of this trend is Deborah James, known as the ‘gut babe’, who was diagnosed with the disease when she was just 35 years old and raised millions for charity in her final days in 2022.
Another example of a healthy, fit woman who was affected by the disease was Zu Rafalat, from Finsbury Park, London, who died in 2020 aged 39.
Dame Deborah James, nicknamed ‘the gut babe’, raised more than £11.3 million for cancer research and is credited with raising awareness of the disease, which killed her in 2022, aged 40.
Zu Rafalat, 38, from Finsbury Park, whose bloating left her looking “six months pregnant”, was horrified when she was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. She appears in the vacation photo.
The super fit globetrotter He initially thought he had contracted a stomach virus in Central America, where he vacationed in December 2018.
It later turned out to be stage four bowel cancer that had spread to other organs.
Another young British woman affected by the disease in its prime was Ellie Wilcock, who after experiencing sudden pain in her abdomen, assumed a urinary tract infection was to blame.
Ellie, now 27, from Peterborough, who enjoyed playing sports such as tennis and hiking before her diagnosis, was eventually diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, the most serious type of the disease.
The trend is not limited to women. Actor Chadwick Boseman, famous for Black Panther, died of colon cancer at age 43.