It’s the modern health crisis that’s baffling doctors around the world: rising rates of bowel cancer in people under 50 – many of whom are perfectly fit and healthy.
And according to the latest international data, this wave is hitting Britain more dramatically than most other Western countries, including the US.
The question the world’s top experts are trying to answer is: why?
Although research has yet to identify a specific smoking weapon, groups of scientists have put forward a variety of different theories, some of which are particularly compelling.
The latest proposal to get the attention of experts was published earlier this week by researchers at the University of Miami.
Writing in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, the scientists suggested that the rise in cases of bowel cancer in young people – also called colon cancer – could be partly explained by the phenomenon of ‘accelerated aging’ among younger people.
‘Accelerated aging’ is a scientific concept that means that a person’s body is older than his chronological age or number of birthdays.
The scientists found that each year of accelerated aging correlated with a 16 percent increased risk of developing polyps, small growths that can lead to cancer.
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At the same time, the team found that these growths occurred independently of other known risk factors for the disease, such as obesity and smoking history.
This aging is thought to be caused by a combination of lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, as well as factors typically beyond an individual’s control, such as environmental exposure to chemicals in food, clothing and air.
Although a tantalizing potential link, the exact relationship between accelerated aging and colon cancer is not yet fully understood.
This is just one theory. Other studies have pointed to dietary exposure to seed oils, such as sunflower, canola, corn and grapeseed oil, as explaining the 50 percent increase in rates of young colon cancer since the 1990s.
Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poop, a change in bowel habits, or a lump in your intestine that can cause blockages. Some people also suffer from weight loss as a result of these symptoms
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A recent US study, which analyzed the tumors of more than 80 colon cancer patients, found that the growths contained high levels of bioactive lipids: microscopic fatty compounds produced when the body breaks down seed oils.
These lipids are believed to be dangerous in two ways. First, they promote inflammation, which allows cancer to grow.
Secondly, they would prevent the body from using natural defense mechanisms to fight the tumors.
Researchers behind the analysis urged people to swap seed oils for oils with omega-3 fatty acids such as olive oil and avocado oil.
Meanwhile, a growing number of studies have placed the blame on ultra-processed food (UPF) – and its increasing consumption by the world’s population.
For example, a Singaporean study found that methylglyoxal, a substance released when the body breaks down sugary and fatty foods, interferes with a gene that helps fight tumors.
Another 2023 study the journal Clinical Nutrition found a ‘consistent significant association between UPF intake and the risk of general and various cancers’, including those of the colon.
Other, less researched theories involve microplastics – plastic particles transferred to food through packaging materials – and additives in store-bought foods.
Scientists believe that both of these elements of modern life can end up in our guts, causing a cascade of damage.
They are thought to not only disrupt the intricate balance of healthy bacteria in the gut, which may have cancer-fighting properties, but also destroy the organ’s protective barrier.
A weakened barrier could increase the access of pathogenic bacteria and toxins to the inner layer of the intestine, which could trigger the development of tumors.
Regardless of what is causing the increase, there is significant evidence that it is a global problem that continues to increase.
When Ellie Wilcock suddenly felt pain in her abdomen, she assumed it was a urinary tract infection (UTI). After all, it was something the then 25-year-old had experienced before
But the real cause was a cancerous tumor that kills almost 17,000 Britons every year. Ellie, now 27, from Peterborough, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer – the most serious form of the disease
A recent review of 50 countries found that the number of cases under the age of 50 was increasing in more than half of all countries surveyed.
England was also found to have one of the fastest increases in the world, with the disease rate increasing by an average of 3.6 percent annually.
Behind the statistics are heartbreaking stories of young people who are diagnosed with colon cancer in the prime of their lives.
Perhaps the most recognizable victim 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.
Dame Deborah James, nicknamed ‘gut babe’, has raised more than £11.3 million for cancer research and is credited with increasing awareness of the disease, which took her life in 2022 at the age of 40.
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.
While Cancer Research UK has acknowledged the increase, it has stressed that bowel cancer among young people remains statistically rare.
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.
According to forecasts, this is expected to rise to 47,700 cases per year by 2040.
Data shows that only one in 20 cases of bowel cancer in Britain is diagnosed in people under the age of 50.
Zu Rafalat, 38, from Finsbury Park, whose bloating left her looking ‘six months pregnant’, was shocked to be diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. She is shown on vacation
While the cause of the rise in bowel cancer in young people is still being investigated, experts estimate that more than half of the cases diagnosed each year in Britain are preventable due to known cancer risk factors.
A shocking one in four of the preventable cases are caused by Brits eating too little fiber – found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains – which is known to be a key factor in good digestion.
About one in ten cases is caused by eating processed meat, while a similar number is caused by overweight or obese people.
Research shows that the risk of developing colon cancer increases by 18 percent if people consume more than 50 grams of processed meat (one sausage) per day.
About one in twenty cases is caused by alcohol consumption, smoking and lack of exercise.
Research shows that drinking just one pint of low-strength beer a day, around two units, could increase your risk of bowel cancer by 4 percent, with the risk increasing with higher alcohol consumption.
It is believed that approximately one in fifty cases of colon cancer is caused by exposure to radiation, for example radiotherapy.
It is believed that a fifth of bowel cancer cases have their origins in a genetic risk.
Symptoms of colon cancer include changes in your bowel habits, such as persistent and new diarrhea or constipation, the need or feeling to poop more or less often, blood in the stool, stomach pain, a lump in the stomach, bloating, unexpected weight loss and fatigue.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their GP for advice.