A study suggests that a high-fat diet could be the cause of the colon cancer epidemic among young people in America.
Researchers from the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego found that a high-fat diet altered gut bacteria and digestive molecules called bile acids in mice.
This caused inflammation, which increased the risk of colon cancer, a notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer that is expected to double in young people by 2030.
Although the study only used mice, it could provide one of the first clues as to what’s causing the rise in colorectal cancer cases in young Americans, which has doubled over the past two decades.
Other factors such as sugar, cesarean sections, and even a yeast infection have also been touted as possible causes.
Pictured above is Evan White with his dog Lola and his fiancee Katie Briggs. The couple had started dating when Evan was diagnosed with cancer and became engaged when his condition stabilized. However, he passed away after battling the disease for four years
Marisa Maddox (pictured) was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 29. As a result, she became barren and lost the chance to have the large family she always wanted
dr Ronald Evans, study author and director of the Salk Institute’s Gene Expression Laboratory, said, “The balance of microbes in the gut is affected by diet, and we are discovering how changes in the gut microbial population (the gut microbiome) can cause problems that lead to cancer.” ‘
“This paves the way for interventions that reduce the risk of cancer.”
It’s unclear what specific foods the mice ate or how much fat they contained, but it’s safe to assume they were meant to mimic high-fat foods that are staples of the American diet, such as fast food.
The study builds on previous research by Dr. Evans, who found that mice fed a high-fat diet had higher bile acid levels.
Bile acids are molecules produced by the liver that help the intestines digest food and absorb cholesterol, fats, and nutrients.
The researchers hypothesized that the shift in bile acids shuts down a key protein in the gut, the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), which increases the prevalence of colorectal cancer.
In the new study, Dr. Evans and his team found that altered bile acids affect the production of stem cells in the gut. If these are not renewed frequently enough, they can cause mutations that promote cancer cell growth.
They said that a high-fat diet changes the composition of the microbiome and encourages the growth of bacteria that boost bile acid production. This creates a vicious circle of inflammation.
Study author Dr. Michael Downes said, “We are just beginning to understand these bacterially conjugated bile acids and their role in health and disease.”
“We found out why a high-fat diet isn’t good for you and identified certain strains of microbes that are more susceptible to disease on a high-fat diet,” said Dr. Evans. “When we know where the problem is, we have a much better idea of how to prevent and reverse it.”
Data from JAMA Surgery shows that colorectal cancer is projected to increase by 90 percent in people aged 20 to 34
The same data shows that rectal cancer will increase by 124 percent in the youngest age group
The number of colorectal cancer cases is increasing worldwide and triggering an epidemic among young people.
The rate is expected to double in young people by 2030, and colorectal cancer is also expected to be the leading cause of cancer death in people under the age of 50 by the end of the decade.
This is based on data from JAMA Surgery, which found that between 2010 and 2030, the number of colorectal cancer cases in people aged 20 to 34 will have increased by 90 percent. Rectal cancer will have increased by 124 percent in the same age group.
Colon and rectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the third leading cause of death in both men and women.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that about 153,000 cases of colorectal cancer will be detected this year, including 19,500 in people under the age of 50.
About 52,550 people are expected to die from the disease.
Evan White, 24, from Dallas, was one of them. Mr White had just graduated from the University of Arkansas with his finance degree when he was diagnosed with colon cancer after months of beating down his main symptom – fatigue.
The tumor was not discovered until it had reached the third stage, meaning it had spread outside the colon, making treatment much more difficult.
He was on track to marry his girlfriend and move to California, but his dreams were dashed when he died after a four-year battle with the disease.
Mr White’s mother, Dana, told that her son’s diagnosis, then 24, “simply isn’t something you would expect from someone that young”.
A 2020 survey by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance found that many patients with colon cancer symptoms were initially misdiagnosed or discharged
Marisa Maddox, a paralegal, survived the disease but was deprived of the chance to have the large family she had always hoped for after a diagnosis of colon cancer at age 29 rendered her infertile.
Experts are still working to elucidate the cause of this devastating epidemic.
They often blame unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption and lack of exercise for this change.
A study from the Cleveland Clinic suggested that eating red meat and sugar could put young people at a higher risk of developing colon cancer.
However, some research suggests otherwise.
For example, a 2021 study found that early-stage cancer patients were less likely to be obese or smokers than their older counterparts.
A study published in April looked at how giving birth by cesarean affects the risk of developing early-stage colon cancer. The researchers found that women who were born by cesarean section were more likely to develop colon cancer earlier in life than women who were born vaginally. There was no connection between men.
In addition, the use of antibiotics has been shown to affect this risk. A study in the journal Gut found that prolonged use of antibiotics increases the risk of developing colon cancer at an early stage. However, it was also associated with a lower risk of rectal cancer.
And a study showed that the fungus Cladosporium sp. was more common in tumors in young patients than in older patients.
It is still unclear how Cladosporium sp. could be driving this increase in cases, but researchers think it could damage cell DNA. This could cause them to turn into cancer cells.
These environmental factors have a lasting impact on the gut microbiome, which experts say could increase the risk of colon cancer, even if exposure is limited to early life.
One reason colon cancer is difficult to diagnose is because of its symptoms, which are often related to other conditions. However, some stand out more than others.
A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that the most commonly reported symptoms were abdominal pain, blood in the stool, diarrhea and iron deficiency anemia.
Additionally, in a 2020 Colorectal Cancer Alliance survey, 68 percent of participants reported noticing blood in their stools. The average age of the participants was 42 years.
The same survey also found that many patients with colorectal cancer symptoms were initially misdiagnosed or discharged.
A prolonged period without a diagnosis could allow colon cancer to spread to later stages, making treatment more difficult.
In 2021, amid concerns about the rising rate among younger adults, the US Preventive Services Taskforce lowered the screening age from 50 to 45.
This is usually a colonoscopy, in which a camera is inserted into a person’s rectum to look for any growths or changes in the intestine