Deadly diets could be fuelling rise in colon cancer in the young

Close-up hands of patient recovering on the hospital bed — Cases of colon cancer in people under 50 are on the rise (Picture: Getty)

Colon cancer in people under 50 is soaring across the world, and scientists may finally know why.

A combination of high-sugar and low-fibre diets could be behind the rise, allowing a certain gut bacteria that speeds up the ageing of cells in the intestine to flourish.

Older cells are more susceptible to cancer because they have more mutations, while damage to them could reduce the ability to fight the growth of tumour cells.

The researchers, from Ohio State University, presented their findings at the world’s largest cancer conference, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

The team suggests that eating too much sugar and not enough fibre encourages the growth of the bacteria Fusobacterium, which increases inflammation in the gut.

The researchers note that prolonged inflammation has been shown to age cells. They suggest that those patients who had poor diets had aged their cells by up to 15 years older than their biological age, in a process known as ‘inflammaging’.

However, they found that older patients with colon cancer had cells that matched their actual ages.

The team said the findings align with other recent data, suggesting that low-fibre, processed diets throw off the gut microbiome balance in a process called intestinal dysbiosis.

The paper has not yet been published.

Bowel cancer statistics

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK with nearly 43,000 people diagnosed every year
It is most common in the over 50’s but it can affect people of all ages. More than 2,600 people under 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every year
1 in 20 UK females and 1 in 17 UK males will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime (born in 1961)
28% of bowel cancer cases in the UK are caused by eating too little fibre

To find out more visit Bowel Cancer UK

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, the average UK adult consumes around 20g of fibre, when the recommended amount is 30g.

The foundation suggests certain foods be consumed across the day to increase the amount of fibre in your diet. These include bran flakes, bananas, apples and wholemeal toast, as well as baked potatoes.

UK cancer charity, Bowel Cancer UK spokesperson Dr Lisa Wilde said: ‘Bowel cancer is more common in the over 50s, but there is a growing body of evidence globally that bowel cancer is increasing in younger people, including within the UK.

‘Since my diagnosis, life has changed in many ways’

Carla Mitchell on holiday with her husband — Carla Mitchell, pictured with her husband, was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 36 (Picture: Carla Mitchell/Bowel Cancer UK)

‘Whatever your age, it’s important that you contact your GP and ask for an at-home test if you spot any symptoms such as bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo, or a change in your pooing habits. Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.’