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In some countries, more and more young people are developing colon cancer. The insidious thing is that, according to researchers, this type of cancer is more aggressive at a younger age.
Milan – A research team led by Carlo La Vecchia from the University of Milan took a closer look at cancer cases in the European Union and Great Britain. research results are worrying: In some countries, death rates from colon cancer are increasing among younger people. Certain risk factors play a major role.
More younger people are developing colon cancer: chances of survival lower than in older people
In the age group of 25 to 49 years, the researchers predict an increase in the death rate from colorectal cancer of 26 percent among men in Great Britain and 39 percent among British women. The study uses the data from 2015 to 2019 as a comparison. In Italy, according to the forecast, 1.5 percent more young men and 2.6 percent more young women are expected to die from this type of cancer in 2024.
The research team predicts that there will be 7.9 percent more deaths among women aged 25 to 49 in Germany than in the period from 2015 to 2019. Spanish and Polish young men were also affected, with an increase of 5.5 and 5.9 percent respectively. This is particularly problematic because, according to researchers, colon cancer is generally more aggressive in younger people and the chances of survival are lower. Why is still largely unclear.
About the study
The study “European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2024 with focus on colorectal cancer” by researchers C. Santucci S. Mignozzi M. Malvezzi P. Boffetta G. Collatuzzo F. Levi C. La Vecchia and E. Negri from the University of Milan was published on January 28, 2024 in the medical journal Annals of Oncology.
The study is based on death certificates and population data from the databases of the World Health Organization and Eurostat.
Declining trend in society as a whole
The increase rates among young people are worrying, said researcher La Vecchia of the German Press Agency (dpa) – especially because the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer have improved. The death rate from colon cancer is falling in society as a whole. In Germany, the risk of dying from colon cancer in 2024 across all age groups will be 11.55 percent lower for men and 7.99 percent lower for women than in 2018, according to the study.
A look at all types of cancer in the total population of the EU and Great Britain also shows a downward trend: the cancer death rate for men is 6.5 percent lower than in 2018 – for women, mortality has fallen by 4.3 percent since then. Colon cancer remains the second most common type of cancer in women and the third most common in men in Germany, as Data from the Robert Koch Institute show.
The study names these risk factors for colon cancer in younger people
For the disease Cancer and other diseases, a mixture of genes and personal life choices play a role. People have a large degree of control over their lifestyle. The researchers at the University of Milan are linking factors such as overweight, obesity, diabeteslack of exercise and eating habits are associated with colon cancer. Alcohol consumption also influences the likelihood of developing the disease. “In countries with lower alcohol consumption, such as France and Italy, mortality has not increased as much,” the study states.
A further investigation had linked obesity and a high concentration of fat in the middle of the body in particular with colon cancer. But there is also good news: Researchers at Harvard University have used artificial intelligence to diagnose a certain type of cancer three years before it breaks out. There is also scientific evidence that a vegan diet has a positive effect on the Health and can reduce both weight and the risk of diabetes.