Currently, colon cancer is the number two reason for a premature death in adults under 55, and is soon looking to take over the number one spot.
But what's behind the rise in cases? Teams of researchers from around the world have conducted a variety of studies to try and find a cause.
Some new research is currently being considered that says that the increase in intestinal fungal infections and the use of antibiotics may be a large contributor to these cases.
According to Fight Colon Cancer, a non-profit organization, the number of individuals under 55 being diagnosed with colorectal cancer has nearly doubled in just a decade. The death rate has risen 90 percent in the last two decades.
So far, doctors have speculated that a sedentary lifestyle is likely a large factor, but statistics show that even the most athletic individuals are finding themselves with an unexpected diagnosis.
Other researchers think that cases have previously gone unnoticed - with colon cancer screenings usually recommended for those over 50 years of age. Now, more young people than every are seeking medical care and preemptive screenings, which could account for some of the rise in numbers.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 30 percent of the roughly 154 million antibiotics doctors prescribe yearly are "medically unnecessary," and contain ingredients that is killing off important bacteria in the gut.
Sarah Perrott, a researcher from the University of Aberdeen, says that “the right hand side of the bowel has greater diversity of bacteria.
So it all makes sense when we think about the contents of the bowel, the activity of the gut microbiome and the theory of bowel cancer development." Although her study, published last year, showed few links between antibiotics colon cancer, nearly every other type of cancer diagnosis was associated with overuse of antibiotics.
Another study done in Sweden, on the other hand, did show an absolute link between antibiotics and rectal cancer, along with a more recent study from the UK.
Cynthia L. Sears, PhD, a professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, co-authored a 2021 that UK study stated, “we would never say that this is more than associations. But the fact that they are reproducible elements, really, across very different populations makes you think that this could be real,” says .
The UK study did also show that the use of antibiotics occurred at least a decade before the diagnosis, suggesting that this medication takes some time before the drugs have a serious impact.
Perrott goes on to say that, “antibiotic use is very common, and it is important to note that not everyone who uses antibiotics will get bowel cancer. However, while invaluable in medicine, antibiotics should be used appropriately and only when necessary.”
