Cancer is a terrible and devastating disease, and there are many types that a person could get - but there is one which is rising in numbers when it comes to younger people here in the UK and it’s incredibly hard to spot.
According to a new study by Lancet, which used population data until 2017, this type of cancer is rising in young people and it’s actually increasing more in England than anywhere else in the world.
Killing 17,000 people in the UK alone each year, it’s becoming more and more of an issue in the under 50s category.
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According to the study, the ‘cancer incidence rates are rising in 27 of 50 countries and territories examined, with the rise either exclusive to early-onset disease or faster than the increase in older adults in 20 of the 27 countries’.
It also stresses the ‘need for intensified efforts to identify factors driving these trends and increase awareness to help facilitate early detection'.
On of those trends is our diets, according to Researchers from the American Cancer Society, who also led the findings.
They explained that the rise in early onset cancers is spreading as companies who make junk food has spread more to poorer countries, which then expands the ultra-processed-food diet above traditional meals.
The study found that the ‘steepest inclines’ in early cancer cases were noted in Chile (4%), New Zealand (under 4%), Puerto Rico (3.8%) and England (3.6%).
The cancer they’re talking about is early onset colorectal cancer, aka bowel cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK: “Bowel cancer means cancer that starts in the large bowel (colon) and the back passage (rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer. Your treatment depends on where the cancer starts in your bowel.”
Symptoms of the hard-to-spot disease include:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Using the toilet more or less often
- Blood in your stool
- Abdominal pain or a lump in your abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue for no reason
- Bloating.
It’s important to note that bowel cancer symptoms can be presenting for different reasons. For example, it could be irritable bowel syndrome, but getting checked out is the only way to know for sure.
The Lancet study found that bowel cancer rates in young people rose in 27 out of the 50 countries studied, with Dr Hyuna Sung, the senior principal scientist at the American Cancer Society, saying as per The Mirror: "The global scope of this concerning trend highlights the need for innovative tools to prevent and control cancers linked to dietary habits, physical inactivity, and excess body weight.
"Raising awareness of the trend and the distinct symptoms of early-onset colorectal cancer among young people and primary care providers can help reduce delays in diagnosis and decrease mortality."
A link between colorectal cancer and diet
The study shared that colorectal cancer is the ‘third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death, responsible for more than 1·9 million new cases and almost 904 000 deaths in 2022 worldwide’.
While studies are continuing to figure out why younger people are being diagnosed at an increased rate, many believe that it’s dietary.
Michelle Mitchell, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, shared that at a young age, cancer can be a devastating blow.
She said: "A cancer diagnosis at any age has a huge impact on patients and their families - so while it's important to note that rates in younger adults are still very low compared to people over 50, we need to understand what's causing this trend in younger people."
Britt Jones