Bowel Cancer Research Targets Young Patients
Researchers are set to analyze bowel cancer samples that date back nearly a century, aiming to uncover the reasons behind the rising incidence of the disease in younger individuals.
While bowel cancer primarily affects older populations, a noticeable increase in cases among younger people has been observed globally. In the UK, for instance, rates have surged by 75% among those under 24 since the early 1990s, leaving experts perplexed.
At St Mark’s National Bowel Hospital, a unique vault holds tens of thousands of cancer samples, which are now undergoing detailed scientific examination. The goal is to identify the reasons each cancer developed and how environmental and biological factors have changed over the years.
Take Holly, for example. At just 27, she is one of many young patients facing this disease. Initially misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, her symptoms escalated until she found herself in the emergency room. Only then was she diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer at 23, requiring aggressive treatment.
She reflects on her experience, saying the intense chemotherapy impacted her in unexpected ways, making it challenging to accept that life would be forever altered. Now living with a stoma, Holly routinely requires medical monitoring. Even though she has been cancer-free for over three years and is planning her wedding, she admits there are moments when the weight of her diagnosis hits her hard. “It feels really unfair. Why me?” she often wonders.
The reasons behind the increase in bowel cancer among younger people remain elusive. Suggestions range from obesity and highly processed foods to antibiotic use and environmental factors like air pollution and microplastics.
Dr. Kevin Monahan, a consultant gastroenterologist at St Mark’s, noted the alarming trend. “Bowel cancer in people under 50 is rising globally, including in the UK. It’s becoming a significant issue, and we need effective preventive measures,” he stated.
Despite the majority of cases still being in older adults, the rate among those aged 25 to 49 has grown by 51% since the 1990s. Monahan emphasized the uniqueness of the hospital’s archives, which contain samples from every bowel cancer patient treated there. This makes it a valuable resource for identifying causes among young patients.
The preserved cancer samples, along with their accompanying gut bacteria, are being sent to the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) for advanced molecular analysis. Each type of cancer tends to leave distinct signatures in the DNA of affected cells, and tracking these signatures over time could reveal the underlying factors of cancer in younger populations.
Prof. Trevor Graham from the ICR suggested that a particular strain of E. coli now prevalent in young people’s intestines might be a contributing factor. This strain potentially releases toxins that harm DNA within bowel tissue, turning it cancerous. However, a pressing question remains: why is this bacteria more common today?
Graham noted, “If these harmful bacteria are the culprits, we should observe a shift in the prevalence of their signatures over time, becoming increasingly common as we approach the present.” He expressed optimism about the archives, calling them a “real treasure trove” and hinted that the answers might very well lie within these samples.
