New bowel cancer shock: Rates among over-50s in England among the highest in the world – amid a global explosion of the disease in young people

The number of under-50s with bowel cancer in England is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, a major study has warned.

While the number of early-onset bowel cancers, defined as those aged between 25 and 49, is increasing globally, the disease rate in England is growing at an average of 3.6 per cent per year – one of the fastest increases.

Experts believe that poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise may be responsible for this alarming trend.

The study found that rates of bowel cancer in young people increased in 27 of the 50 countries studied in the ten years to 2017.

Researchers from the American Cancer Society, who led the study, said the rise in premature cancer rates is no longer limited to high-income Western countries but is now a “global phenomenon”.

The increase was seen in 14 western countries, mainly high-income, including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Scotland.

The strongest increases in the incidence of early-stage bowel cancer were found in Chile (average 4 percent annual increase), New Zealand (4 percent), Puerto Rico (3.8 percent) and England (3.6 percent).

In contrast, the US recorded just a 2.1 percent increase – putting the country in 16th place, behind Canada with a 2.8 percent increase and Australia with 3 percent.

Although Iceland recorded a 7 percent increase, the highest in the study, the data behind this calculation was considered less reliable than the other countries with high increases.

It was found that young women had a faster increase in the rate of early bowel cancer than men if they lived in England, Norway, Australia, Turkey, Costa Rica and Scotland.

In contrast, rates of bowel cancer in older adults have remained stable or fallen in many countries, including England, partly due to the effectiveness of cancer screening programmes.

The study also recorded the actual incidence rates of colon cancer in the countries studied.

Australia had the highest rate: 16.5 cases per 100,000 young people per year.

This was followed by the US territory of Puerto Rico with 15.2 cases per 100,000 young people per year and New Zealand with 14.8 cases per 100,000 people.

England came in 17th in this ranking with 11.4 cases per 100,000 people per year, while other British countries were in similar positions. Northern Ireland came 16th, Wales 18th and Scotland 19th.

Dr. Hyuna Sung, senior chief scientist at the American Cancer Society, said: ‘The global scope of this worrying trend highlights the need for innovative tools to prevent and control cancers linked to diet, physical inactivity and obesity.

‘Increasing awareness of the trend and obvious symptoms of early colorectal cancer (e.g. rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, altered bowel habits and unexplained weight loss) among youth and primary care providers can help reduce delays in diagnosis and reduce mortality. ‘

Experts say the exact reasons behind the worrying, and now increasingly global, rise in bowel cancer cases are still unknown.

The authors of the new study highlighted that the number of bowel cancer cases in a number of countries studied increased in line with economic prosperity.

They theorized that this could represent a shift away from traditional diets and increased consumption of meat and ultra-processed foods, which likely contributed to the increase.

However, they added that the contributing factors are likely to differ, given the diversity around the world in diets and other health metrics such as the prevalence of obesity, which is also linked to cancer risk.

Cancer Research UK highlighted that rates for bowel cancer in younger adults are still low, with only around one in 20 cases of bowel cancer in Britain diagnosed in people under the age of 50.

However, CEO Michelle Mitchell said this flagship study has shown for the first time that interest rates are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world.

She said: ‘A cancer diagnosis at any age has a huge impact on patients and their families – so while it is important to note that rates in younger adults are still very low compared to people over 50, we need to understand what is causing this trend in healthcare. younger people.’

The charity’s data up to 2019 shows that the incidence of bowel cancer in adults aged 25 to 49 has increased by 52 per cent since the early 1990s.

There are around 2,600 new cases of bowel cancer in people aged 25 to 49 each year in Britain and around 44,100 new cases among all ages.

It comes a day after US research suggested ultra-processed foods cause chronic inflammation in the gut, which can lead to the disease.

They suggested that replacing 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 prevent the disease.

In response to the new findings published in Lancet OncologyDr. Sarah Bailey, associate professor of health and community sciences at the University of Exeter Medical School, said more research is crucial to understand the trend.

‘The reasons for the trend are not yet fully clear, but it is clear that we need to look for the underlying causes.

“As rates increase among younger adults, we will need to explore how we can expand our strategies to capture cases early in this group as well.”

Dr. David Robert Grimes, an expert in biostatistics at Trinity College Dublin, said comparing international cancer data is difficult given the variation in data quality, but the findings did indicate a global increase.

However, he urged caution about the possible reasons for the trend: ‘This study cannot tell us why this might be the case, nor why this is not consistent across countries.

‘It is therefore crucial that we do not overinterpret such findings. For example, it could mean that screening and improved detection ensure that we can detect cancer earlier.’

In recent years, several heartbreaking stories have emerged about young people diagnosed with colon cancer in the prime of their lives.

Perhaps the most recognizable victim of the trend is Deborah James – known as ‘gut babe’ – who was diagnosed at the age of 35 and raised millions for charity in her final days in 2022.

Another example of a fit and healthy woman affected by the disease was Zu Rafalat from Finsbury Park, London, who died in 2020 aged 39.

The super fit globetrotter initially thought she had contracted a stomach flu in Central America where she went on holiday in December 2018.

It later turned out to be stage four colon cancer, which had spread to other organs.

Another young British woman struck by the disease in her prime was Ellie Wilcock, who, after experiencing a sudden pain in her abdomen, assumed a urinary tract infection was the cause.

Ellie, now 27, from Peterborough, who enjoyed sports such as tennis and walking before her diagnosis, was eventually diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer – the most serious form of the disease.

The trend is not limited to women. Actor Chadwick Boseman, known for Black Panther, was killed by colon cancer at the age of 43.