Scientists say recognising key symptoms of bowel cancer is vital as worrying new Lancet study shows rates among young adults are rising more sharply in England
A cancer with symptoms which are among the hardest to diagnose is increasing in young adults.
A new Lancet study has found rates of bowel cancer in young people are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world. The cancer, which causes common symptoms and so is hard to diagnose, now kills almost 17,000 Brits each year and is increasing in the under 50s.
Early onset bowel cancer in those aged 25 to 49 is increasing globally, but England is among the countries with the biggest rise, averaging a 3.6% increase every year, researchers calculated. Studies are ongoing to work out why more younger people are developing bowel cancer but experts believe poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise are playing a role. The disease is the third most common cancer in the UK and is the same type that killed TV presenter Dame Deborah James at age 40 in 2022.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said:”A cancer diagnosis at any age has a huge impact on patients and their families – so while it’s important to note that rates in younger adults are still very low compared to people over 50, we need to understand what’s causing this trend in younger people.”
There are more than 44,000 new bowel cancer diagnoses in the UK each year. Symptoms can include the following:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Needing to use the toilet more or less often than usual
- Blood in your stool, which may look red or black
- Abdominal pain
- A lump in your abdomen
- Bloating
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
Bowel cancer symptoms can also be caused by other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, but it’s important to get checked so the disease can be spotted as early as possible. The study, published in the journal Lancet Oncology, found bowel cancer rates in young people rose in 27 out of the 50 countries studied in the decade to 2017.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society, who led the findings, said the rise in early onset cancers is no longer limited to high-income Western. It comes as junk food chains have spread more to poorer countries in recent decades, meaning heavily processed foods have replaced more traditional diets.
The study found the “steepest inclines” in early bowel cancer incidence were found in Chile at 4%, followed by New Zealand at just under 4%, Puerto Rico at 3.8% and then England at 3.6%. Young women were found to have faster increases in early bowel cancer rates than men in England and Scotland. In contrast to younger adults, rates of bowel cancer in older adults are falling in many countries including England due to the effectiveness of cancer screening programmes.
Dr Hyuna Sung, senior principal scientist at the American Cancer Society, said: “The global scope of this concerning trend highlights the need for innovative tools to prevent and control cancers linked to dietary habits, physical inactivity, and excess body weight. Raising awareness of the trend and the distinct symptoms of early-onset colorectal cancer among young people and primary care providers can help reduce delays in diagnosis and decrease mortality.”
Cancer Research UK stressed bowel cancer rates in younger adults are still low, with only around one in 20 bowel cancers in the UK diagnosed in people aged under 50. Michelle Mitchell added: “This flagship study reveals that increasing rates of early onset bowel cancer, affecting adults aged 25 to 49, is a global issue. Concerningly, this research has revealed for the first time ever that rates are rising more sharply in England than in many other countries around the world.”
