Colon cancer: the risks of ultra-processed foods and the need for early detection

‘The moral approach, and the one more likely to be successful, enables people to make healthy choices by taking action to lower the cost of healthy foods.’ Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Regarding Devi Sridhar’s article (Colon cancer is on the rise among young people – and research points to one major culprit, 1 October), I was diagnosed with colon cancer in February this year, at the age of 43.

I do not dispute anything written by Prof Sridhar in her article, but in my particular case, the cancer was not a result of consuming ultra-processed food. I have a genetic deficiency, which ultimately meant I was eligible for immunotherapy treatment. That, along with surgery, thankfully means I have made a full recovery.