Rectal cancer presents a primary increase in mortality among young adults, especially in people aged 20 to 44 years. According to recent studies, the death rate from this type of cancer has increased alarmingly.
“The rate of rectal cancer appears to be increasing two to three times compared to colon cancer,” he told NBCNews Mythili Menon Pathiyil, lead author of a new study and a gastroenterology fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.
The North American media notes that, although the new research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, it will be presented at Digestive Diseases Week, an annual meeting of gastroenterologists, in May.
According to the American Cancer Society, it is projected that by 2026 there will be 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer, causing around 55,230 deaths. A significant portion of these deaths will occur in people under the age of 65, revealing a worrying trend.
Unidentified factors
Scientists are investigating the reasons behind the increase in rectal cancer among millennials. It has been noted that many of the affected patients lack a family history of cancer, which further complicates the search for causes.
Studies suggest that environmental exposures in the 1960s and 1970s may be related.
“It’s not that a new gene has appeared in the population,” he told NBC Dr. Ben Schlechter, a gastrointestinal specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “This is something modern,” he asserts.
He explains that it is possible that some parts of the colon microbiome have been altered at some stage in life, possibly due to excessive consumption of sugary drinks during childhood.
Symptoms and detection strategies
Symptoms of colorectal cancer are often nonspecific and include fatigue and weight loss. Experts advise young adults to seek medical care if they develop similar symptoms, although early detection remains a challenge, especially for those without a family history.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening starting at age forty-five. However, this leaves many young people with symptoms without a clear path to diagnosis.
Pathiyil indicates that a delay in detection of up to seven months could negatively influence the results, contributing to an increase in mortality among young patients.
Role of modern diet in rectal cancer
The modern diet contributes significantly to the increase in cases of rectal cancer, mainly due to its high content of processed foods, red meat and refined sugars, which alter the intestinal microbiome and promote inflammation.
Key factors of the modern diet
The typical Western diet includes several elements that increase risk:
- Ultra-processed foodssuch as bread, cereals, sauces and sugary drinks, which are associated with a 29-forty five% higher risk of colorectal cancer, especially in men and young adults, by unbalancing the microbiota and increasing polyps.
- Red and processed meats. Its frequent consumption, especially cooked at high temperatures, increases the risk by up to 70-80% of cases attributable to dietary factors.
- Refined sugars and sugary drinks: cause glycemic spikes, inflammation and obesity, factors linked to a higher risk in young people.
- Low fiber and vegetable consumption decreases the colon’s natural protection, aggravated by diets low in complex carbohydrates that damage microbial DNA.
Biological mechanisms
These habits alter the intestine:
- Microbiome imbalance, with bacteria such as colibactin-producing E. coli generating precancerous polyps.
- Chronic inflammation and thinning of the mucosal layer, facilitating the contact of toxins with epithelial cells.
- Associated obesity and sedentary lifestyle, common in modern diets rich in empty calories.
Observed trends
An increase is noted in young adults (<55 years old), correlated with the increase in ultra-processed foods and obesity.
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· Increase in colorectal cancer, a global alarm: early symptoms and preventive recommendations
· Colorectal cancer is the one that has caused the most deaths in people under 50 years of age
· James Van Der Beek’s death highlights colorectal cancer trend: Who is most at risk?
