Stark new research has warned that one diet choice may play a significant part in rocketing colon cancer cases among young people.
Scientists at the US-based Cleveland Clinic analysed data from more than 60 patients to understand the role of ‘metabolites’ in the cell-mutating disease which kickstarts in the large intestine.
While metabolites may sound unfamiliar, they simply refer to the molecules produced in metabolism that are often derived from the food you eat and drinks you consume.
Disturbingly, results appear to show that metabolites associated with red and processed meat are among the main drivers of young-onset colorectal cancer. Experts also advise that talking with your doctor about dietary choices is among the best ways to prevent this form of cancer.
Dr Naseer Sangwan, director of the Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resource Core, co-led the work. He explained: “Researchers – ourselves included – have begun to focus on the gut microbiome as a primary contributor to colon cancer risk. But our data clearly shows that the main driver is diet.
“We already know the main metabolites associated with young-onset risk, so we can now move our research forward in the correct direction,” according to EurekaAlert!
Between the early 1990s and 2018, the number of young adults diagnosed with colon cancer – also known as bowel cancer – has soared by a worrying 22% in the UK, according to the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Cancer Research also labels it the fourth most common cancer in the UK, though its major causes are still heavily researched.
As part of the Cleveland Clinic study, experts used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the differences between older-onset and younger-onset patients of colon cancer.
Results showed that younger patients had increased levels of the metabolite ‘arginine’, compared to older patients. It’s suggested these differences may be linked to consumption of red meat and processed meat which is set to be explored in further experiments.
Senior author and gastrointestinal oncologist Suneel Kamath added: “At the end of the day, it’s impractical to apply our care models for those over 60 to younger adults simply because we cannot give everyone in the system yearly colonoscopies.
“What is much more feasible is to give everyone in the system a simple test to measure a biomarker that determines their colorectal cancer risk. Then we can give the most at-risk individuals appropriate screening.”