Colon and rectal cancer rates are on the rise in younger people with possible causes linked to generational lifestyles, a consultant in colorectal and general surgery has said.
While Ireland’s bowel-screening programme has been successful in combating cancers in older people, a number of factors are thought to be behind worrying trends in those aged under 50.
Prof Ann Brannigan, a surgeon at the Mater hospital in Dublin, noted that a person born in Ireland in 1990 has twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer as someone born in 1950.
“We don’t really know why this is,” she said. “You would wonder is it the generation who have grown up with all of this kind of processed food.
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“We know that the bacteria in your gut are essential for everything that is going on in your body.”
Prof Brannigan is due to speak about rectal cancer at an event in the Aishling Hotel, Dublin on Saturday addressing patients who live with stomas following related surgical procedures.
It will also hear from singer Brian Kennedy on his experience with rectal cancer, which left him needing to use special bags to collect waste.
Prof Brannigan said many factors can be potentially linked to rising cancers including diet, sedentary lifestyles and even how often young people put off going to the toilet.
“I suppose the take-home message is that anyone could have a cancer, no matter how young they are,” she said.
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In Ireland bowel cancer is the second and third most common in men and women respectively, with about 2,800 new cases each year.
Data from the National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) showed that overall colorectal cases in men increased significantly and steadily in 1994-2015, after which they plateaued, although the influence of the screening programme in older people is not yet understood. For women, the data also shows a significant increase during the same period.
While early detection is key, colorectal cancer is the second- and third-largest cause of cancer deaths among men and women respectively.
In Ireland, people aged 60-69 are invited to take a bowel-screening test every two years to catch disease early.
“America are reducing their screening programme to 45 because of this increase in young people developing colorectal cancer,” Prof Brannigan said.
“Every country is dealing with this. And a lot of people are wondering can they viably screen everybody younger … would we have the ability to do that, would it be financially viable?”
Another potential cause she outlined was younger people not going to the toilet when they should — holding on to the stool and thereby exposing the colon to carcinogens for too long.
A reduction in red meat is considered key, alongside the promotion of wholegrain and fibre.
Many bowel and rectal illnesses, including cancers, can necessitate surgery. Often this means an ileostomy, where the small bowel or intestine is diverted through an opening in the abdomen, known as a stoma. In such cases, ileostomy bags are used to collect waste.
While the nature and duration of such procedures vary depending on the patient’s needs, Prof Brannigan said there was also a need to manage female patients and fertility considerations.
