In the UK, women aged between 25 and 49 are 39 per cent more likely to die from colorectal cancer this year, with the increase for men estimated at 26 per cent.
In Spain and Poland, the increase among men was 5.5 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively, while in Germany the rate among women is predicted to rise by 7.2 per cent. Death rates are predicted to increase in Italy by 2.6 per cent among women and 1.5 per cent among men.
Researchers looking into the causes of colorectal cancer are focusing on possible connections with changes in individuals’ microbiome.
“In our body we have around 4,000 different species of bacteria. This means that of the genome that we have in the body, only 0.01 per cent is human. The remaining 99.9 per cent of DNA and RNA that we have in the body is bacterial,” Dr Tabernero explained.
The Spanish oncologist said that the full nature of the connections between alterations to microbiota in the intestine and bowel cancer has yet to be established.
“But we do know that patients with early-onset colorectal cancer have a microbiome that is different from that of the normal population and from those who develop colorectal cancer at an older age.”
Dr Tabernero said factors such as diet, obesity and antibiotic consumption influence the composition of the microbiome.
“With antibiotics, it is important that these drugs are taken only when necessary because abuse has many consequences and not only increasing bacterial resistance. Doctors are partly to blame for prescribing antibiotics without a proper thought process and the public too, as people self-medicate when they shouldn’t.”
Mysteries of the microbiome
Last autumn, Dr Tabernero took over as chairman of the consortium Cancer Core Europe (CCE), in which Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron, Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Centre and five other European institutes pool expertise and research findings to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatment and prevention.
CCE is taking part in Optimistic, an international project in which institutions are working together to understand how changes in the microbiome contribute to the development of cancer and the disease having a more aggressive prognosis.
Researchers have identified the link between one bacteria in particular, Fusobacterium nucleatum, with several types of cancer including breast, colorectal, and head and neck cancers.
F. nucleatum exists in the mouth and plays a role in gum disease. Poor oral hygiene associated with under-40s due to factors such as sugary diets and vaping is promoting the growth of this strain of bacteria amongst the young.
Research has shown that when these microbes enter early-stage tumours, they can actively interfere with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, enabling the cancer to grow and spread.
So what can be done about the rise of bowel cancer cases among the young?
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
