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.

In that case I apologise. I wasn't specifically referring to the gluten free aspect, just the (what I wrongly presumed) was the judgment on cakes biscuits etc. I have zero interest in going gluten free.

I certainly didn’t say it was just about that. Sometimes cancer is just shit luck. I led a very healthy lifestyle and got breast cancer in my 40s, shit luck.

Why so many younger folk then, surely environmental factors affect all age cohorts?

Anyway, without judging anyone, this is just an observation - there seems to be a huge emphasis on high protein and drinking gallons of water every day. The water consumption at high levels surely leeches any good stuff out? And protein, while it's necessary in our diets seems to be the holy grail these days, so protein powder, shakes, and so on are consumed by the bucketload as opposed to meat eggs and dairy which are frowned upon by "experts".

However I'm of the view that a lack of dietary fibre is a factor. So many people eat high protein, drink oodles of water, but fail to take in adequate fibre, which keeps the bowels moving.

I am no expert, and who knows if the so called experts can't figure it out. Wishing all the bowel cancer (and other cancer) sufferers out there all the best in their journeys.

Agree Spaghetti Some deeply unpleasant posts on here and a lot of misinformation. I do think it is a very small minority of people who are unpleasant to people with cancer and its largely to do with wanting to feel immune themselves. I do think its concerning misinformation like exercise causes cancer is allowed to stand.

Some interesting observations, I don't think it's just what we ingest (yes, maybe on a population level it does seem that certain factors around weight and diet contribute to cancers) and with additives, processed food well I think probably more of those born in the late 60s/70s have been exposed (and certainly I'd say smoking, drinnking much more prevalent and in that group) to these, albeit perhaps from late teens onwards.

It's true, people did not use to carry around bottles of water (PFSAs) in the mid 80s, it came later and there are protein shakes and possibly more fruit/veg mean more forever chemicals being ingested (due to pesticides). Clearly exercise is very important but I'm not sure that there was quite as much hard core/high intensity stuff around before either (but then I've never been a big exerciser myself).

Is there something to do with having children at different stages? If we are genetically predisposed to having cancer, abnormal cell division essentially, could this be amplified during pregnancy when presumably the body is flush with hormones to help grow the fetus? This might also be around the time of peri-menopause when oestrogen increases for a period before decreasing (I should add I'm a very mature mum).

Quite a few of my friends who are vegetarian are slim (I think in some cases they've admitted they became vegetarian from a health/weight perspective rather than ethical) - maybe back in the 80s/early 90s, to cut back on meat it was quite natural to up the gluten intake (bread/pasta - I mean pasta was not as common in the 70s as it was in the 80s for example). If coeliac is on the increase, it causes inflammation of the gut and maybe undiscovered this contributes too?

Experts do seem to be baffled and suggest it is not one thing but a whole host of factors but it's strange to see such a clear increase and in the young. More research needed!

PS I did ask before but not sure how to get Admin to do it - but suggested this post was moved to another area as it may upset people who come on here after a cancer diagnosis.

Agree the tone of some of the posts on this thread are so judgemental and superior. I work in cancer research and some of the posters on here would be horrified to see just how random cancer can be. Also an awful lot of people are confusing correlation with causality and showing their lack of scientific knowledge. We need a LOT more research but if you think blaming cancer sufferers for their disease because they drank too much milky coffee means you wont get cancer then crack on, Im afraid that unfortunately you might be in for an unpleasant shock one day.

I'm sorry your GP didn't refer you when you reported the symptoms but hope you are receiving good treatment now. x

And I have found it extremely unhelpful that many people are keen to answer their own questions as in 'why did SomethingSimple get bowel cancer?' And try to pin blame on something I must've done.
People want to believe you are at fault when you have a diagnosis of some types of cancer as then it makes them feel you are not like them and that makes them feel this could not happen to them. A couple of people made me feel shame by their assumptions about why this had happened.
My oncologists and many of my surgeons have told me cancer often isn't a judgement. In my case as in so many others it's something we had no control over.
Stigmatising cancers by pinning them on lifestyle/ choices isn't always helpful. In my case it meant my diagnosis came late.
My advice to anyone is to live as well as you can, listen to your body, advocate for it when things don't feel right and be very kind to yourself.

To those wailing about milky drinks being blamed, consumption of dairy is actually one of the top known causes of bowel cancer. But the problem is that people used to only get this disease after their 50s or 60s, but it's now happening in people half that age, obviously something much more sinister is at play. Plastics is probably a huge contributor now as well as possibly changes is standard medications across time. I hardly think someone diagnosed in their 30s got it because they went to Costa a few times. It's more likely a more potent carcinogen. Genetics do come into play but there is usually some interaction between genes and the environment to trigger these things.
Someone mentioned coeliac disease which is also a good point. The majority of people with coeliac disease are never diagnosed. Despite it being a common disease, doctors don't screen for it and most sufferers go their whole lives (sometimes with limited symptoms) eating gluten only to end up with osteoporosis/ dental problems/ multiple unexplained miscarriages/ neurological problems and cancer of the bowel.

The demographic that it’s hitting are a bit obsessed with their protein intake. Especially the fit and slim ones who work at it. My own son who’s 14 announced to me yesterday that he needs to be upping his protein intake so that he can get bigger muscles and look better. He doesn’t eat enough fibre. I obviously do try to encourage more veg etc but teens will be teens.

My husbands niece has thousands and thousands of insta followers as she is aesthetically very slim and toned. She documents her high protein intake with recipes etc. She also happens to put huge amounts of pressure on herself in other areas of her life to be perfect. I know we all felt pressured when we were that age but being slim isn’t enough anymore. You need to have muscles, and you need to be strength training is a strong message. She also runs marathons, it’s all more, more, more.

I dunno…. I work with young people. They’re all literally obsessed with high protein diets. And they’re all super stressed. That’s my unscientific theory anyway. 🌺 to those on this thread who have been touched by cancer too young.

Here but for the grace of god we go.

I don't think anyone is blaming cancer diagnosis on people. What I see is many people trying to minimise them getting the disease. We get a lot of advice from WHO and other agencies on things to avoid or eat in moderation and that's a good suggestion for all aspects of health. Sadly cancer is very random but also sometimes it's down to many things. Genetics? Smoking? Alcohol? High processed diet? We all know that these things aren't good for a healthy diet but also true that many people who live this way can also not be affected by cancer. I've know healthy people get cancer and it's been a shock and makes you think well if they can get it so can I. I live with a health anxiety that I'm being treated for so I will try and take on board suggestions for healthier lifestyle for all sorts of reasons not just cancer. As mentioned before with the bowel disease and chrons in our family I'm really interested in gut health. But if I do follow my grandma and my dm and get chrons I would think that's more genetics. I do have bowel disease so the chances are high no matter what diet I follow.

i agree on the artificial sweeteners and I think we need more proper research into their long-term health effects. Other things could be the problem- other additives, plastics etc and there are probably multiple factors. But sweeteners have been pushed so hard, and almost all parents, nurseries, schools etc and many manufacturers have swallowed the idea that sugar is bad and “sugar free” or “no added sugar” is healthy. Even a lot of people who understand healthy eating more generally think this, and now we have a sugar tax as well to push people towards sweetener-filled options.

Too much sugar is bad, but the answer to that is to limit it and get used to it. Sweeteners are bad for gut biome, confuse the endocrine system and make you want to eat more, and they’re consumed a lot from early childhood.

@BusterGonad thank you. I guess i didn't explain it very well. My parents generally live off ready meals with my dm sourcing gluten free ones. She has been told by her gastroenterologist that she doesn't need to cut gluten out. I think she's scared to introduce it back though. She has gone through a lot the last few years and I know she does research. I just worry about all the processed gf foods will just play havoc with her rather than help her. X

As others have said, this thread is really... bizarre.

Someone I met was visibly taken aback when I said that my bowel cancer diagnosis had come prior to my covid vaccination (because the vaccine hadn't even been invented yet when I was diagnosed). He clearly thought that there was no other reason why someone with no risk factors could have advanced cancer.

The assertions about milky drinks, sugar, meat, sweeteners etc are no better. You're just as deluded as people who blame covid-19 for everything. I have long since accepted that most people don't understand probability and statistics, so I shan't waste my time.

People who like to reassure themselves that it couldn't happen to them are in for a shock when the 50% lifetime chance of diagnosis hits them or someone close to them.

You might also want to think about your 'othering' of people with cancer. We walk among you... and some of us don't even think that cancer is the worst thing that's ever happened to us. Yes even at stage 4. We just get on with it.

This has been a handy thread though to remind me of how many people really do think they're in complete control of their lives and that any misfortune that befalls them must necessarily have been because they did something wrong.

Newsflash: life isn't fair, there are no guarantees, and you can only do your best.

Scary, isn't it.

I agree.

But cancer is not always completely random - far from it. Looking for correlations and carcinogens and things we can change to reduce the risk is sensible, scientific and has a long history. Smoking, asbestos, hiv, sunburn/tanning - there are lots of things that do very much increase the risk and understanding that is part of how health and medicine work.

It’s ridiculous to lump people questioning food additives and microplastics in with covid conspiracy theorists. (Though if there were to be actual evidence that any vaccine was correlated with cancer, it would be sensible to look into that too.)

None of this is to suggest people are individually to blame for getting cancer.

@MrsWhattery I don't believe for a second that you think that certain people in this thread are bringing up potential contributing factors in a 'sensible, scientific' way. Your post is essentially a straw man argument.

No worries. I know that with my crohn's processed foods are often easier to digest as they don't contain much fibre, fibre can be a real a bugger when your bowels are in turmoil. For me a McDonald's burger is easier than a plate of salad (which absolutely kills me). She's obviously very scared to move away from her 'safe' foods.

I think it's worth trying to improve diet and exercise regularly if you can as it makes you feel better day to day, regardless of whether you are reducing risks of cancer, heart disease or diabetes.

Diabetes is probably the more immediate and more likely thing I worry about given than my mum has type two. She manages it well but it's not something I particularly want if it can be avoided. My dad did a ton of exercise all his life and didn't overeat or drink alcohol very often and never smoked but still died first of heart failure. So even if I live a healthy lifestyle my arteries might be fully calcified at 75 as his were. But hopefully not by 55, and if I didn't look after myself there would be a risk of having both and younger. Cancer is always a possibility but there are other risks of being overweight I think about first.

The main incentive being that if I put a stone on from here just day to day things are harder as my joints ache and I get more tired and have less energy. Though if you do get cancer being slightly overweight to begin with isn't a bad thing.

I’m not defending everyone on the thread and I didn’t say I was. I’m defending the idea of suspecting and scientifically exploring possible causes and contributing factors for cancer. It is not some mad conspiracy theory to understand that some foods and other environmental factors do or may be found to increase the risk.

The assertions about milky drinks, sugar, meat, sweeteners etc are no better. You're just as deluded as people who blame covid-19 for everything.

This is just nonsense. Would you say the same about smoking or hiv infection? We know some foods (smoked foods, processed and red meat) raise the risk. It’s not unreasonable to suspect a class of widely used food additives that are often given to children and whose use correlates with the stats.

You’re confusing a raised risk with direct and exclusive causality. That correlations and causality can be shown, doesn’t mean everyone who gets cancer is to blame because of their choices, or that it doesn’t also affect people randomly or for unknown reasons.

Not everyone who gets lung cancer is a smoker, not everyone who gets oesophageal cancer is a drinker, not everyone with malignant melanoma is a sunbed addict..it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make people aware of modifiable risk factors. I have had a lifetime of bowel issues and a number of family members have died from bowel cancer….if someone has had certain cancers in their family ,no-one can changes things for those who have already died but you can encourage the younger members of your family to change what they can. We are all born with a certain level of risk of certain diseases due to our genetics but whether or not those genes are expressed may well be linked to environmental and dietary factors.

Re sweeteners, what about stevia? I mean high content stevia, not the ones that have a pinch of it in sling with mainly erythirtol