Doctors may have come close to an important discovery: why cases of cancer colorectal cancer are increasing among young adults. A mysterious increase in cases among the under-55s has raised concerns in medical circles, especially as cancer is being detected among healthy young people who «they run, play sports and control their diet». Now doctors at Georgetown University in Washington say the increase could be linked to changes in the gut microbiomes of young people. Doctors have found that i tumors of younger patients were more likely to contain the smell Cladosporium sp. compared to older patients. The fungus is only occasionally found in the human intestine, where it is suspected to be an invader that does not aid in digestion. The fungus is also known to cause skin and nail infections.
Is THIS why so many young people are getting colorectal cancer? A fungus could be to blame pic.twitter.com/Wa8hw4EVPU
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) May 26, 2023
Colorectal cancer is the third cancer most common diagnosed in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. And it’s on the rise in young people. Approximately 153,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, of which 19,550 are under the age of 50. Rates in the under-55s have doubled since the 1990s, which is causing concern among health professionals. A 2023 report from the American Cancer Society, for example, claims that the rate of colorectal cancer in Americans younger than 55 has increased from 11 percent of all cases in 1995 to 20 percent in 2019. The Dr. Benjamin Weinberg, a gastrointestinal cancer expert, said: «Many people blame obesity and diabetes. But we have these healthy, young patients who have very advanced colorectal cancer». For the study, the scientists looked at tissue samples from 63 patients who were younger than 45 or older than 65.
They checked the DNA of the microorganisms in the tumors to look for any differences in the gut microbiome. This revealed that Cladosporium sp. it was more common in tumors from young patients than older individuals. The researchers also looked at bacterial factors that might be at play. There was no difference for most bacteria, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, which was found about 30% of the time in both groups. Other bacteria have also been shown to be more common in the tumors of older patients. It is not yet clear how Cladosporium sp. could lead to this increase in cases, but researchers think it could harm the cellular DNA. This could cause them to turn into cancerous cells. The findings will be presented next week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
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The researchers say their paper may have brought doctors one step closer to understanding what’s causing the surge in colorectal cancer cases. Dr. Weinberger added: «There was some kind of exposure we think in the 70s or 80s – maybe everyone started taking antibiotics for ear infections or stopped breastfeeding – Something unique happened and we don’t know why». Previous theories have suggested that unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and increased sedentary lifestyles may be behind the increase in cancers. But scientists aren’t sure that doesn’t explain why other cancers have remained unchanged or continued to decline at the same time in the under-55s. All cancers contain bacteria and may also contain fungi, although these are not typically present. Part of the increase may be because people are also more likely to detect colorectal cancer at a later stage, when it’s more difficult to treat. Amid concerns about the rising rate among young adults, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered the screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.