Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
In recent decades, medical advancements have significantly increased the survival rates of most cancers, saving millions of lives from what were once fatal diseases.
Unfortunately, there is a particular cancer that stands out by not following this positive trend in survivability. Bowel cancer has now become the second leading cause of death in the United States, just behind heart disease, partly due to a rise in diagnoses among individuals under the age of 50.
Bowel cancer has become the leading cause of cancer deaths in younger people, despite the overall decrease in fatality rates for other cancers due to improved detection and treatment. Although the exact cause of this trend is unclear, scientists have identified a common health condition that may increase the risk of bowel cancer by an alarming 600 percent.
Researchers in nutrition at King’s College London (KCL) have discovered that younger individuals living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are significantly more likely to develop bowel cancer. IBD primarily manifests as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
While the root cause of this trend is still under investigation, KCL researchers suggest that the damaged stomach lining associated with IBD increases the risk of dangerous cancers forming in the colon.
Their research indicates that younger individuals in the UK are now 50 percent more likely to develop this deadly disease compared to their counterparts in the 1990s. Professor Sarah Berry from KCL has received $27 million in funding to investigate the reasons behind this increase.
Although her Prospect study is still ongoing, Professor Berry highlights that the growing body of evidence points to IBDs as a potential cause. These bowel conditions have seen an increase in prevalence throughout the Western world.
In the United States, at least 2.4 million people are known to live with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, with most of those diagnosed being under the age of 50.
Professor Berry stated: “IBD patients have a higher risk of early-age colorectal cancer than the rest of the population. Research in Sweden has shown the condition leads to a six-fold increase in diagnoses. The main theory is that the persistent inflammation in the bowels triggers the cancer.”
Last year, nearly 53,000 people in the U.S. died from bowel cancer, with the number of young individuals succumbing to the disease increasing by three percent annually. Bowel cancer, once considered an age-related illness, is now affecting younger populations.
Common symptoms of bowel cancer include notable warning signs such as blood in the stool, severe abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue.
The scientific community has yet to definitively identify the cause of the rise in IBD, but early studies suggest that diet plays a significant role.
Professor Berry elaborated: “It’s already known that patients who have an unhealthy diet high in processed meats and sugary drinks are more likely to get bowel cancer. There is also some evidence that additives found in ultra-processed foods could inflame the bowel and raise the risk of cancer. We don’t know that for certain but it’s something that needs to be investigated.”