Silent Epidemic Nobody Foresaw
Young people colorectal cancer: Sarah Thompson had seen something wrong at 29. She was a marathon runner and a vegetarian and she dismissed her fatigue and intermittent bloating as stress, until she found blood in her stool. Her diagnosis? Colon cancer at stage III. She had no history of smoking, no history of drinking heavily and no history of family debacles. My doctor told me that I was too young to this.”
She is hardly in the minority. The American Cancer society has revealed that the colorectal cancer (CRC) rates in adults below the age of 50 have increased by 40 percent since the 1990s. It is the top cancer killer among men below the age of 50 of which it is the second top in women. Then why is it that a disease that was once associated with old age is secretly sneaking into the vessels and bodies of young and healthy individuals?
The Junk Food Generation: Is Our Diet Killing Us?
Any supermarket food store is filled with ultra-processed foodstuffs products– instant noodles, breakfast cereals and the instant meals that are microwaved. Research indicates that these could be the cause of the crisis. In one report published in Nature Gastroenterology in 2023, individuals with the highest intake of processed foods and sugary sweetened beverages were twice more likely to develop early-onset of CRC.
However it is not what we eat but what is lacking. Modern diet is deficient in fiber, an important nutrient that nourishes good gut bacteria. Dr. Robin Mendelsohn, a prominent oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering cautions; the effects of this are such that young guts today have 40 percent less microbial diversity than that of the earlier generations. This imbalance will result into inflammation that may cause normal cells to become cancerous.”
Would such a diet that excluded fast food and soda help? Possibly–but it is not all.
Environmental Toxins: The Invisible Threat
It is not only food we are digesting. Microplastics are extremely small plastic pieces and have occurred in 90 percent of bottled water and even in fruits and vegetables. Scholars think that an average person is swallowing a credit card worth of plastic per week.
There is also the use of glyphosate, a weed killer. An examination carried out in 2024 in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives had found high rates of glyphosate in the tumours of young CRC cases. Admits a toxicologist Dr. Linda Birnbaum, “We do not know yet whether it is a direct cause, but the correlation is frightening.”
- The PFAS (permanent chemicals) in non-stick pots and food wrappings.
- Produce containing pesticides, which exhibited an association to increased rates of CRC in farmworkers.
- A chronic inflammation occurring in the guts due to air pollution.
Is it possible we are killing ourselves and we are not aware?
The Overlooked Triggers: Antibiotics, Sitting, and Viruses
Consider the last round of antibiotics. And did you have to have them? A recent study published in Gut Journal in 2023 revealed that the temporary use of antibiotics when children are young contributed to the development of CRC by 17%. These medicines kill good bacteria leaving the gut exposed.
Then we have our lifestyle of sitting. Sedentary professionals spend 10 hours a day seated, which reduces metabolism in the body enabling cancerous agents to take additional time in the colon. Throw in the binge-watching culture and you have an ideal storm.
Other researchers even surmise that viruses might have a part to play. Some HPV strains were discovered in CRC tumors but the evidence is insufficient.
Fighting Back: What You Can Do Now
The good news is? Early identification means life-saving. Although the conventional screenings begin at 45, persons at high risk, particularly symptomatic patients, should insist on earlier testing. Stool DNA tests done at home (such as the Cologuard) are increasingly available.
The diet is important:
- Instead of processed meat eat fermented foods (kimchi, kefir).
- Consume at least 30g of fiber within a day (beans, whole grains, berries).
- Consume less microplastic by filtering the water.
It is important to advocate. Organizations such as COLONTOWN, which are nonprofit, are lobbying further studies on the environmental causes.
Final Thought: This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s Cancer
It is not a coincidence that CRC among young adults are increasing; it is rather a sign of caution. We are experiencing a time in history in which our food, surroundings, and way of living are penning cancer hazards. When you are not past 50 and something strikes you funny, follow your intuition, in a nutshell.
It is not merely a health problem says Sarah who has gone into remission. It is an eye opener to our whole generation.