A recent study indicates a significant increase in colon cancer cases among young people, providing potential explanations for this trend.
Ongoing research led by Tim Cannon, a cancer specialist based in Virginia, highlights an alarming rise in colon cancer diagnoses among individuals in their 20s and 30s.
After years of treating cancer patients, Cannon observed a trend of younger patients with more aggressive forms of cancer.
In response to this observation, he studied 100 long-distance runners aged between 35 and 50, discovering that 39 of them had developed precancerous tumors in their colons.
For 15 participants, the cancer was advanced, a figure considerably higher than the anticipated 1.2 percent, indicating that a significant portion of those studied were at risk of developing colon cancer.
Various experts have also recognized this pattern.
Dr. Kimmie Ng, who leads Dana-Farber’s Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center, mentioned to Business Insider: “The steepest rise is in people in their 20s and 30s. They’re younger, they’re healthier, they don’t have comorbidities, they get more treatment — and yet they’re not living longer.”
The reasons for this increase are debated, with scientific theories suggesting causes such as microplastics, antibiotics, and lifestyle factors like high sugar intake and exposure to blue light from screens.
Recent research points to early-life factors that may be influencing the higher rates of colon cancer in younger populations.
Colon cancer originates in the colon, part of the digestive system, and ranks as the third most common cancer globally, making up about 10 percent of all cancer cases.
It is also the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Previously associated mostly with older adults, cases among individuals aged 20 to 30 have started to rise.
Unfortunately, colon cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages, limiting treatment options.
The survival rate for colorectal cancer drops to 10 percent once it metastasizes.
Early detection is challenging due to the minimal symptoms exhibited by colon cancer in its initial stages.
Given that treatment choices diminish as the disease advances, early screening is crucial to improving treatment prospects.
Symptoms of colon cancer can include changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or stool narrowing, along with blood in the stool that may appear bright red or dark and tar-like.
Other symptoms include persistent abdominal cramps, pain, or bloating, as well as sudden and unexplained weight loss, constant fatigue, and lack of energy despite adequate rest.
Iron deficiency anemia, resulting from chronic bleeding, is another symptom and can cause fatigue, weakness, and paleness.
Recent scientific findings have suggested several factors contributing to the increased incidence of colon cancer in younger individuals.
Ludmil Alexandrov, a molecular biologist at UC San Diego, discovered a mutation in over half of colorectal tumors in patients younger than 40, linked to colibactin, a toxin from a specific E. coli strain, occurring in infants before their ninth month.
This research proposes that infants could be experiencing mutations affecting their cancer risk, challenging previous beliefs that mutations were more likely to occur in adulthood.
Alexandrov explained, “You get your first hit at age 1 instead of age 30. So you are about 20 to 30 years ahead of schedule for cancer.”
If validated by further research, this could provide significant insights into the rise of early-onset cancer in younger populations.
The presence of mutations early in life could explain why cancer develops in a person’s 20s or 30s after a prolonged incubation.
The increase in colibactin infections in infants may result from dietary changes, such as higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and lower intake of fiber-rich ingredients, as suggested by experts.
Additionally, modern birthing practices, like C-sections, may disrupt early-life microbial environments.
Formula feeding, which often contains more sugar than breast milk, could also impact the early immune systems of infants.