Colorectal Cancer Increasing In Young Adults

The obesity epidemic is affecting the health of humans on this earth in so many ways. We read about the early onset of diabetes and increased occurrences of heart disease, but Science Daily writes on June 8th and June 9th two different, yet similiar, articles about the increase of colorectal cancer among younger patients.

The June 8 article, Colorectal cancer increasing among young adults, begins "A new study finds that in sharp contrast to the overall declining rates of colorectal cancer in the United States, incidence rates among adults younger than age 50 years are increasing. The authors theorize that these increases may be related to rising rates of obesity and changes in dietary patterns, including increased consumption of fast food."

According to the article:

The researchers address several possibilities for the rise, including rising rates of obesity, which is a major risk factor for colorectal cancer. Dietary factors may also come into play. The researchers note that between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, fast-food consumption in the United States increased 5-fold among children and 3-fold among adults. A diet high in fast food is associated with both greater meat consumption and reduced milk consumption. Increased consumption of red and processed meat has been shown to increase risk of cancers of the distal colon and rectum, while milk and calcium consumption have shown a protective effect against the subsites in which the rise in incidence was most prominent. They say it is plausible that the emergence of unfavorable dietary patterns in children and young adults over the past three decades may have contributed to the increase in CRC among young adults observed in the study.

The June 9th headline reads: Colorectal Cancer Rates Increasing Worldwide, and begins "A new study finds colorectal cancer incidence rates for both males and females increased in 27 of 51 countries worldwide between 1983 and 2002, and points to increasing Westernization as being a likely culprit. The rise was seen primarily in economically transitioning countries including Eastern European countries, most parts of Asia, and some countries of South America."

This article reads:

The authors say the increase in colorectal cancer in economically transitioning countries may reflect the adoption of western lifestyles and behaviors. Many of the established and suspected modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, a diet high in red or processed meats, and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, are also factors associated with economic development or westernization. The authors say male colorectal cancer incidence rates in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Japan have not only exceeded the peak incidence observed in the United States and other long-standing developed nations, but continue to increase.

Amazingly, incidences of colorectal cancer has shown a decline overall in men and women in the U.S., perhaps due to the growing awareness about obesity and the unhealthy choices available at fast food restaurants.