Bowel cancer rising among under-50s worldwide, research finds

Young women were found to have faster increases in early bowel cancer rates than men if they lived in several countries, including England and Australia. Photograph: PhotoAlto/Alamy

The number of under-50s being diagnosed with bowel cancer is increasing worldwide, according to research that also reveals rates are rising faster in England than almost any other country.

For the first time, global data suggests doctors are seeing more young adults develop early-onset bowel cancer, from Europe and North America to Asia and Oceania.