Is THIS what's causing mystery rise in colon cancers among young people? New ... trends now
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Scientists say they may be one step closer to detecting the cause of the mystery rise in colon cancer in young people.
Researchers have discovered that people with an aggressive form of the disease have unusually high levels of three bacteria in the gut.
Fusobacterium, Clostridium and Shewanella can become more common because of a diet high in processed foods and low in fiber.
Tests on stool samples from 94 colon cancer patients, showed that among the 24 with the KRAS mutation — behind 40 percent of cases and which causes more fast-growing disease — these bacteria were more common.
The above graph shows colon cancer cases among under 50s by year. There is a drop in 2020 because the Covid pandemic led to fewer people coming forward for screenings
The bacteria have been linked to diets high in processed foods — like frozen meals, fast foods and deli meats — and low in fiber, as well as those containing more fats and red meats.
Fusobacteriums can cause inflammation in the gut, the researchers warned, while Colstridium — such as C. difficile — can release toxins.
These raise the risk of damage to DNA in cells, which increases the chance that they could turn
