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.

You know that people with cancer are allowed on the other sections too, right? 🤪

Athletes have higher cortisol levels, yes. It has also been shown that women (not men) experience a rise in cortisol when they come home to a messy house.

Get tidying or get cancer?!?

At an individual level it is impossible in most cases to point to something that was a cause of a persons cancer. This thread is not intended to blame any individual and for the individual it is usually sheer bad luck that leads to their diagnosis.

But this thread as I understand it is wanting to look at trends at a population level. Where often we can see correlations between disease and other factors. And this is an interesting (and worrying) subject that shouldn't be shut down.

I made a perfectly reasonable suggestion regarding another activity that is shown to raise cortisol levels. And I believe that there are more women out there with messy houses than there are ultramarathon runners.

Why are you so quick to dismiss that theory?

Ditto health anxiety. Surely that has to be a contributing factor for some people?

https://neurosciencenews.com/anxiety-stress-messy-home-23874/

One study of 60 dual-income couples found women living in cluttered and stressful homes had higher levels of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress) and heightened depression symptoms.

@13luckyforsomeone noone has dismissed anything that I can see. It is a common proposition that raised stress levels over time can contribute to all kinds of diseases. There are lots of ways people can have a stressful life, whether physical or mental.

Of course they are. I suppose I just meant that if people feel sensitive about the subject (understandable), they could avoid it perhaps if not staring at them from the Cancer section.

Totally agree that stress is the root of all sort of negative outcomes, whether the stress is physical or psychological.

I do think it could be micro plastics. The timeline would make sense. All the (plastic) bottled drinks, the microwavable readymade foods in their plastic containers, etc. They weren't a thing a few decades ago.

A lot of our food is full of plastic - fish, for example. I am making a big effort to avoid plastic, but it is quite challenging.

I mean, speculating on here about the causes of any rise in colorectal cancer is just pointless is it not? There are people who devote their whole lives to working out the why. All hail the research scientists.

yes; your odd observation or hunch will turn out to be valid. 99% won’t.

*in a small percentage of cases. Sorry, fat fingers

I don’t know in the immediate past it was uterine fibroid, fibroid, fibroid. I had this shoved down my throat for near on 12 months and was at one point after hysteroscopy told fibroid clear. Fibroid possibly brought on by Covid19 jabs or what is sprayed on to our fruit and veggies before the supermarket.

my gp in their stress agreed to the fit test and additional bowel sample at 42, has come back abnormal/out of range which moves their butts 100%. But I kind of fought to have these tests. It shouldn’t have to be like this.

Grandad lost battle of bowel cancer inside 6 weeks in 2000 but my Dad fought it 2017 caught by early diagnosis.

I asked my mate who had bowel polyps removed but there not able to tell me how they ended up having colonoscopy 🤷🏻‍♀️