Posted on 05/20/2021 6:47:42 AM PDT by Red Badger
A new paper in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that several non-genetic factors — including greater red meat intake, lower educational attainment, and heavier alcohol use — are associated with an increase in colorectal cancer in people under 50.
In the United States, incidence rates of early-onset colorectal cancer have nearly doubled between 1992 and 2013 (from 8.6 to 13.1 per 100,000), with most of this increase due to early-onset cancers of the rectum. Approximately 1 in 10 diagnoses of colorectal cancer in this country occur in people under 50.
Researchers have observed the rise particularly among people born since the 1960s in studies from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. During the same period there have been major changes in diets among younger generations across the developing world. Such changes include decreases in consumption of fruits, non-potato vegetables, and calcium-rich dairy sources. This is coupled with an increase in processed foods (e.g., meats, pizza, macaroni, and cheese, etc.) and soft drinks. Average nutrient intakes of fiber, folate, and calcium among the U.S. population are also lower than recommended.
The increase in early onset colorectal cancer is concerning to researchers because these cancers often have worse outcomes than those diagnosed in older people. It has led to recommendations that colorectal cancer screening begin at younger ages.
Previous research has outlined potential risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer including greater consumption of processed meat, reduced consumption of vegetables and citrus fruit, greater body mass index, sedentary lifestyles, greater alcohol use, smoking, reduced aspirin use, and diabetes. However, researchers have yet to perform a comprehensive, large-scale evaluation that compares the magnitude of these risks with those for late-onset colorectal cancer and assesses whether the risks for early-onset colorectal cancer correlate with specific types of colorectal cancer.
Using data pooled from 13 population-based studies, researchers here studied 3,767 colorectal cancer cases and 4,049 controls in people under 50 and 23,437 colorectal cancer cases and 35,311 controls in people 50 or above years.
Early-onset colorectal cancer was associated with not regularly using aspirins, greater red meat intake, lower educational attainment, heavier alcohol use, and (interestingly enough) also alcohol abstinence. Researchers also found that lower total fiber intake was linked more strongly to rectal than colon cancer.
Several other colorectal cancer risk factors trended toward an association with early-onset colorectal cancer, including history of diabetes and lower folate, dietary fiber, and calcium intake. However, neither BMI nor smoking were risk factors in the early-onset group, in contrast to the late-onset group.
According to Richard Hayes, the senior investigator for this research: “this first large-scale study of non-genetic risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer is providing the initial basis for targeted identification of those most at risk, which is imperative in mitigating the rising burden of this disease.”
Reference: 20 May 2021, JNCI Cancer Spectrum. DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkab029
This work was funded by the National Cancer Institute under R03-CA215775-02, awarded to Dr Richard Hayes, and through the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO) funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (U01 CA164930, R01 CA201407), awarded to Dr Ulrike Peters. This research was funded in part through the NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA015704 and training grant T32HS026120, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR, www.coloncfr.org) is supported in part by funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) (award U01 CA167551). The CCFR Set-1 (Illumina 1M/1M-Duo) and Set-2 (Illumina Omni1-Quad) scans were supported by NIH awards U01 CA122839 and R01 CA143247 (to GC). The CCFR Set-3 (Affymetrix Axiom CORECT Set array) was supported by NIH award U19 CA148107 and R01 CA81488 (to SBG). The CCFR Set-4 (Illumina OncoArray 600K SNP array) was supported by NIH award U19 CA148107 (to SBG) and by the Center for Table 3.
Most cancers are a lifestyle disease.
Red meat, high in iron, zinc, B12.
I doubt the red meat is nearly the issue as the alcohol use.
And “poor education.”
That sounds like an excuse to throw money at something.
Its the processed food not the beef and red wine.
And Sodium based preservatives........................
Yes there’s that.
I glanced through it twice but didn’t see anything about education past the headline. What did I miss?
Alcohol is bad. No alcohol is bad.
Add some fiber supplement to your soft drink to equal out the good and bad.
Thankfully, here’s the silver lining for not being able to afford red meat these days.
Uh, huh. Anytime I see such a study and some wild influencing factor is mentioned I call BS. This bunch is just finding correlations, not causation. Not uncommon for folks chasing the never ending gov’mt grant teat. Might as well tie to color of your shoes as education.
“Red Meat Intake, Heavier Alcohol Use, and Poor Education Linked to Colo rectal Cancer.”
Red Meat. Check but I like fish and chicken.
Alcohol. Double Check.
Poor education? Several degrees in sciences. Geology, Chem, Pharmacy and aviation. Oddly not aviation degree but I taught them how to fly. No degree in chemistry as the chem department would not recognize my hours in Geo-chemistry, PK pharmaceutical chemistry, and pharmokinetic chemistry.
That is okay. When I graduated in Pharmacy I made much more than the chem grads. :)
Probably your cancer risk is much lower than the chem grads too. But your addiction risk is higher.
Rd later.
Thank goodness I have an advanced college degree to offset my red meat and alcohol consumption!
Only if it’s non STEM!.............
Oh, drat. One of them is in a STEM field. I guess I’m a goner.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.