UK Launches Major Study into Rising Bowel Cancer Rates in Young Adults

A significant study, named Prospect-UK, is recruiting more than 250,000 adults across the United Kingdom to investigate the concerning rise in bowel cancer diagnoses among individuals under 50. Experts have noted a substantial increase in early-onset bowel cancer globally since 1990, with the UK experiencing some of the highest rates.

While bowel cancer has historically been more prevalent in older populations, it is increasingly being diagnosed in younger age groups. The study, a collaboration between King's College London and the health science company Zoe, aims to collect extensive data on diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors to understand the drivers behind this trend.

Participants, aged 18 and over, will complete online questionnaires detailing their diet, lifestyle, environment, and health status. Researchers will also seek permission to link this information with electronic health records to track cancer diagnoses over time. A subset of participants will be asked to maintain detailed diet diaries and provide biological samples, including blood and stool.

Professor Sarah Berry, the trial's chief investigator and a professor of nutritional sciences at King's College London, emphasized the need for long-term data. "Over just a few generations our lifestyles, diets and environments have changed dramatically," she stated. "But we don't know which of these changes are increasing people's risk of bowel cancer or which ones could help reduce it. We urgently need large-scale, long-term data to uncover the true causes of early-onset bowel cancer."

Data from Cancer Research UK indicates that while the highest incidence of bowel cancer remains in the 85-89 age group, approximately 2,700 cases annually occur in individuals aged 25 to 49. The incidence rate in this younger demographic has risen by 62.3 percent since the early 1990s, increasing from about 8 cases per 100,000 people to 13 per 100,000 in 2018/21.

Dr. Rosie Brownson Smith, a research associate at King's College London involved in the study, highlighted the complexity of the current food environment. "Around 60 percent of our calorie intake comes from highly processed foods," she noted. "For the first time, we are collecting detailed, brand-level information about the foods people actually eat. This will allow us to better understand which foods and dietary patterns may be linked to the development of early-onset bowel cancer."

The study also acknowledges the impact of public awareness campaigns, such as those by the late Dame Deborah James, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at age 35. Her advocacy brought greater attention to the disease in younger populations.

Dr. David Scott, director of global research initiative Cancer Grand Challenges, which is funding the study, added that the international Prospect team is working to understand contributing factors beyond diet and lifestyle. "Bowel cancer is still much more common in older people, but rising rates in younger adults pose a question we are working to answer," he said. "Prospect-UK will help investigate that question... The global team is working to understand what is driving this rise in younger people and, ultimately, identify new ways to prevent bowel cancer."