England among countries experiencing steepest rise in bowel cancer in under-50s

Rates of bowel cancer in the under-50s have been rising around the world, with England seeing one of the fastest increases, new research has found.

Data up to 2017 for 50 countries shows that the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer rose in 27 of them, with the greatest annual increases seen in New Zealand (4%), Chile (4%), Puerto Rico (3.8%), and England (3.6%), the researchers reported in The Lancet Oncology.

The study found that England and Scotland were among the nine countries where rates in the 25 to 49-year age group were rising at the same time as the incidence in older adults is declining.

While work is still being done to better understand the reason for the rising rates, junk food, high levels of physical inactivity and levels of obesity were likely to be contributing, the researchers said.

Study leader Dr Hyuna Sung, from the American Cancer Society, said the analysis shows that the increase in younger people getting bowel cancer is a ‘global phenomenon’.

She said: ‘Previous studies have shown this rise in predominately high-income Western countries, but now, it is documented in various economies and regions worldwide.’

She added that this highlights the need for ways to prevent and control cancers linked to dietary habits, physical inactivity, and excess body weight.

‘Ongoing efforts are essential to identify the additional factors behind these trends and to develop effective prevention strategies tailored to younger generations and local resources worldwide,’ Dr Sung added.

Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: ‘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.

‘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.

‘More research is needed – like team PROSPECT, a global Cancer Grand Challenges team who has been awarded £20m to uncover the causes of bowel cancer in younger adults, and strategies to prevent it.’

Dr Sarah Bailey, NIHR advanced fellow at University of Exeter Medical School, said it was clear that research was needed into the underlying causes.

She said: ‘In terms of the implications in the real world, approaches to deal with the rising rates in younger adults in England will need careful consideration.

‘Earlier diagnosis strategies for colorectal cancer, such as screening programmes and investigation of symptomatic patients in primary care, tend to target people aged 50 and over. That is because this is the age range in which most new cases are diagnosed.

‘As rates in younger adults increase, we will need to explore how we can expand our strategies to capture cases early in this group too.’