Alarming rise in under-50s diagnosed with bowel cancer

Recent research suggests the number of people under 50 dying from bowel cancer will rise by a third in 2024, with cancer specialists describing the finding as “alarming”.

A study published earlier this year suggests death rates among those aged 25 to 49 are predicted to increase by 39% among women and 26% among men in 2024.

Professor Simon Leedham, a member of Worldwide Cancer Research’s Scientific Advisory Committee, said that these findings, alongside a rise in diagnoses of early onset bowel cancer, highlight the need for more research into how the condition presents in young people.

“These are alarming statistics and we are seeing a progressive rise in bowel cancer in the under 50s but, to put this into context, that number of under 50s dying from bowel cancer is predicted to rise from 3% to 5% of all bowel cancer deaths,” he said.

“So while the absolute numbers are small – only one in 20 bowel cancer deaths will be in an under 50 year old – this trajectory is still concerning.

“Some suggested potential explanations include changing diet, smoking habits and alcohol habits, rises in obesity or the impact of microplastics and pollution but ultimately we don’t know what’s causing it. We need far more collaborative research to understand what’s driving this increase.”

As bowel cancer is often considered an older person’s illness, symptoms can often be overlooked in young patients.

“The bowel accumulates mutations over a lifetime that can eventually lead to bowel cancer, which is why we see a steady increase in bowel cancer incidence as people age,” said Professor Leedham, who works at the Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University.

“Yet now we have this alarming paradoxical rise in younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Hopefully, this raises awareness of symptoms with patients and GPs because often a young patient will visit their doctor three or four times before bowel cancer is considered.”

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer and is responsible for 10% of cancer deaths worldwide. When diagnosed early, bowel cancer is highly treatable but it is much harder to treat at a later stage. Stage 1 bowel cancer has a 95% five to 10 year survival rate whereas stage 4 survival rates drop to around an 8% five-year survival rate.

The number of older people dying from bowel cancer is decreasing because of early screening programmes but these do not apply to people aged under 50, which is why knowing the symptoms is vital. Key symptoms are bloody stools, a change in bowel habits, especially persistent diarrhoea, and unexplained weight loss.

“Less elderly patients are dying from bowel cancer because we are screening patients earlier, we’re finding their cancers earlier, which with bowel cancer means it’s highly treatable,” said Professor Leedham.

“Yet these new findings highlight that you are never too young to develop cancer and you shouldn’t ignore your symptoms. Don’t hesitate to see your GP if you develop persistent symptoms like bloody stools because catching it early increases the effectiveness of treatment and therefore survival rates.”

www.worldwidecancer research.org