Bowel cancer diagnoses are increasingly being seen in younger people, with some of the steepest global increases happening in England, research has warned.
Early-onset bowel cancer is becoming something of a “global phenomenon”, the study published in the journal The Lancet Oncology has concluded.
Using World Health Organization (WHO) data for the years to 2017, an American Cancer Society-led research team found increasing rates of bowel (or colorectal) cancer in younger adults in 27 out of the 50 countries and territories in their study. For the first time, these include parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Bowel cancer
Obesity fuelling bowel cancer mortality among under-50s
Public Health England urges bowel cancer screening for over-60s
“Early-onset colorectal cancer is a growing global phenomenon,” explained Dr Yin Cao from Washington University in St Louis. “But, at the same time, it is still rare.”
The research, which was part-funded by the charity Cancer Research UK, found England experienced the fourth fastest (3.6% per year) rise in the rate of early-onset bowel cancer in the decade to 2017.
This was faster than any other country in Europe and behind only New Zealand, Chile and Puerto Rico. This increase was not matched in the other devolved nations of the UK.
As risk factors and diagnostic pathways are similar across UK countries, it’s likely this variation is linked to population differences, the researchers cautioned, however. Because the overall number of diagnoses is so much lower in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, small fluctuations can make it much harder to establish a trend over time.
Cancer Research UK’s own statistics suggest that only one in every 20 bowel cancer cases in the UK happen in people under 50. “Even though it is increasing,” said Dr Cao, “I don’t think people should be scared.”
“More research is needed to understand whether there are genuine differences between the nations, and how to address them,” said Katrina Brown, a senior cancer intelligence manager here at Cancer Research UK.
“The important thing to focus on is that the rate of colorectal cancer in 25- to 49-year-olds is the same across the UK at this point,” added Dr Cao.
Of all the countries and territories included in the study, the UK nations rank 16th to 19th for the overall rate of early-onset bowel cancer. The rate is highest in Australia, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, the US, and South Korea.
Crucially, the new study was the first to track a rise in early-onset bowel cancer outside high-income western countries.
In the paper, the researchers note that, in many of the newly identified countries, increases in early-onset bowel cancer coincide with or follow on from periods of economic development. That suggests they could be linked to rapid changes in lifestyle and diet.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
