Worrying increase in bowel cancer in the young, fit & healthy

[notyetretired]

Just curious to know why this is?

There have been lots of reports lately reporting that the incidence of bowel cancer has increased to a worrying degree in the young, attributing it to a number of possible causes (e.g. microbiome/gut bacteria, processed food & meat consumption, obesity, screening younger etc).

However, many clinical experts have been baffled as to why they are increasingly seeing those who are genuinely young, fit and healthy (consuming no or very little meat/processed food and alcohol and who are into regular exercise). Several high profile cases fit this - Bowel Babe to name just one.

I'm curious to know why this is so? Of course, various studies are still ongoing any researchers on here with theories or observations as to what might be behind this rise? Also interested in more anecdotal evidence as to life style issues that might be contributing and which fit the timelines of the increases.

Where are the figures you're quoting coming from?

According to these Cancer research figures, bowel cancer incidence has fallen by a small amount in recent years and is projected to keep falling?

There's so much in our environment that we consider "normal" but could be harming us.

There have been lots of studies for eg on hair dye. Findings are mixed and there are no agreed upon conclusions.

I don't know the answers, I think there is an increase in inflammatory bowel diseases as well, and they can increase the risk of bowel cancer. My DH has one and they do regular colonoscopies because of this. We've recently had a young cousin diagnosed with crohns as well out of the blue.

There's also Lynch syndrome which I understand is a genetic link which increases the risk, a bit like BRACA genes for breast cancer.

I wonder if either / or these could be something to do with it?

Highly inflammatory diet and ultraprocessed food. Even a 'healthy' diet contains far more of these then 20 plus years ago.

Cancer feeds on glucose don't forget. Our diets are much higher in sugar and refined carbs(which is sugar as far as the body is concerned). Some early research show that a keto diet can make cancer more responsive to treatment which makes sense because it would cut off it's food supply. It isn't rocket science to think that therefore a diet high in refined carbs would make a more welcoming environment for cancer to develop. I'm not a medical professional but this is just from wide reading into the subject.

Can you add a link to a source?

@Orangesandlemons77 I agree with you.
I know so many people with IBD, IBS, food allergies etc. I also know 2 fit and healthy under 40 year old women who have died of bowel cancer. It seems to be happening more to women from what I’ve noticed, but then maybe men talk about it less.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00720-6

Yes, same here. Women mostly. Of course lots of high publicised cases but I know 2 just in my circle. Both slim, ultrafit and very careful with their diets (little meat, processed, alcohol).

Dh is a Gastroenterologist and bowel cancer screening colonoscopist, and agrees this true. It’s pretty much world wide not just here. He said there was a big presentation on it at the last conference he went to. The general consensus seems to be, over eating (so obesity), and eating processed crappy fatty foods. We are now seeing a younger generation of adults who have grown up eating lots of processed foods and see fast food as a normal meal.

@MissyB1 Yes, worldwide phenomenon pretty much. But it's the mystery about the fit/healthy and slim that is puzzling. And those are the profiles of the people I know personally (of course anecdotal).

@stargirl1701 @PermanentTemporary just one of many papers shared above...

I do wonder whether there was anything that changed either prenatally or during the infant stage in terms of nutrition advice or meds etc?

A bit like the increase in food allergies may potentially be due to delaying solids and pregnant women avoiding eating these foods themselves as advised not to if allergies/athma in the family (even if they didn't suffer themselves) and the lack of introduction of certain foods (e.g. allergens such as nuts, fish, eggs) during the 4-6 month window...

Some interesting studies showed that - counterintuitively - for pregnant women consuming more sugar after rationing, that group had the healthier children (when looked at longitudinally) and with lower BMIs than the group that did not consumer sugar.

@notyetretired yes but there will always be the anomalies, there always was. I remember nursing a 19 year old girl with ovarian cancer, a 30 year old lady with pancreatic cancer, and a 20 year old with malignant melanoma. That was in the late 80s.
But worth remembering as well that some people eat rubbish but don’t put weight on, it doesn’t mean they are healthy inside.

You are making the assumption that if you are obese, you have crap diet.

Lots of the fit people at the gym ate a fair bit of proccessed food.

Chile puts big black crosses on upf foods.

@Coldupnorth87 I've not made any assumptions about obesity and diet?

@MissyB1 Of course, but this is a genuine mystery for a lot of clinicians and researchers. The early onset is real.

Interesting, aren't autoimmune conditions generally higher in women up to menopause? I wonder if that is another link.

@MooQuackNeigh

There is no evidence in the 'sugar theory' Sugar and cancer – what you need to know (cancerresearchuk.org) Please avoid making this kind of statement without backing it up with sound clinical evidence.

Micro plastics have been proposed as one cause.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10340669/

Lots of different suggestions, also curious about something that perhaps really changed in infant years / pregnancy from e.g. the late 60s/70s to the 80s (as the people I know were born in the 80s, I don't know anyone - yet - in those born 60s/70s with bowel cancer)...

It is really worrying. I know a couple of ladies who have had bowel cancer in their 30’s. Neither are obese and are what we would class as ‘fit and well’. Diet wise, I know many people with much worse diets.

My DM died of bowel cancer in her 60’s and that was a shock because apart from age, she ticked none of the boxes for risk factors-was well within healthy bmi, tee total, non smoker etc. Her diet was really good much better than DF’s for example. Literally such a shock that of all the cancers, that’s the one she had. So while I agree that overall it’s probably dietary related, it doesn’t tally with my own experience.

Thinking of your point, I know more women with autoimmune illnesses than men. And some cancers are also linked to autoimmune illnesses. They also seem to be on the rise. I remember a time when I didn’t know what an autoimmune illness was, I didn’t know anybody with one, even within the older generations. Now I know lots of people with them.

Hmm I'm not sure this thread is in the right place . With some blaming diet and the such like . People come to these threads for support and such not for a bit self blame .

Agree. It's very much got the tone of blaming individuals. I can't imagine being comfortable reading this if I had cancer or a loved one with cancer.

Let's not forget all the things that may contribute that are far outside an individual's control - water pollution/agricultural pollution/ air pollution/micro plastics/ impact of various nuclear disasters/ radon

I can see how comforting it is to think that any ailment (cancer or otherwise) is someone's fault. Then you can feel like you are in control of your life. But it simply isn't that simple.

Many treatments for autoimmune (or other) conditions can also increase cancer risk. My treatment massively increases my risk of getting skin cancer for instance.

My suspicion is artificial sweeteners. They seem to be in more and more foods, including so-called healthy foods, such as low fat yoghurt. Disclaimer - I’m not a doctor or a scientist.