However, a recent study conducted by a team of British scientists revealed that colon or intestinal cancer is the only type of cancer whose incidence is significantly higher among those under the age of fifty, compared to older adults.
The analysis included data from 42 countries and concluded that other types of cancer—such as thyroid, breast, and kidney—did not show significant differences between the two age groups. In fact, some types, such as liver and stomach cancer, saw their rates decline even among young people in more than half of the countries studied.
Colon cancer, however, was the most notable exception; rates rose faster among young people than among those over 50 in more than two-thirds of the countries surveyed.
The study compared adults aged 20 to 49 with those aged 50 to 69 over a 15-year follow-up period. Scientists found that incidence rates increased in both groups in three-quarters of the countries for cancers including breast, thyroid, kidney, endometrial, and leukemia.
In contrast, rates of liver, mouth, esophagus, and stomach cancers declined among younger adults in more than half of the countries. The team confirmed that colon cancer was the only type that significantly increased among younger adults and declined among older adults, with rates higher among younger adults in 69% of countries, with a statistically significant difference in about 38% of them.
Professor Amy Berrington, an epidemiologist at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and lead author of the study, believes one possible reason for this increase is that screening and prevention programs are often offered only to older people. She explained: "Colon cancer screening not only detects the disease in its early stages, but also contributes to prevention by removing pre-cancerous growths. So, it appears that older people benefit more from prevention than younger people who are not screened regularly."
Berrington added that obesity may be a contributing factor, but emphasized that the evidence is still inconclusive, noting that there may be new environmental or dietary factors that have yet to be discovered.
Common symptoms of colon cancer include:
Change in bowel movements (persistent diarrhea or constipation).
Frequent feeling of needing to defecate.
Blood in stool.
Abdominal pain or bloating.
Weight loss without an obvious cause.
Feeling constantly tired.
