Colon cancer screening could be advanced by the age of 45, according to a study. Adults contract this disease at an earlier age. In particular: their diet.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in Europe. It kills around 215,000 people each year. A new study, presented as part of the UEG Week in Barcelona (United European Gastroenterology), shows that today, three out of ten cancer diagnoses concern patients under the age of 55.
In Europe, the prevention policy is not the same depending on the country. If in France the screening test is free from the age of 50, in others it does not start before age 60. To lower the death rate, the researchers therefore recommend raising the average screening age to 45 years.
Colon cancer develops from the age of 45
The researchers, based in France, analyzed 6,027 colonoscopies. Final result: 400% of neoplasia – abnormal cell development, tumor – more in patients aged between 45 and 49 years, than in those between 40 and 44 years. The detection rate for neoplasia is also 8% higher in people between 45 and 49 years old compared to those between 50 and 54 years old. Hence the proposal to advance the age of screening.
The number of polyps (usually benign growths, but which can turn cancerous if left untreated) and the rate of colonoscopies in which doctors have detected adenomas (benign tumors that develop in the glandular mucous membranes, therefore in the colon) also increased more in patients between 40-44 years and 45-49 years than in the following 5 years of age.
“These results show that it is from the age of 45 that colorectal lesions increase remarkably, especially the rate of neoplasia. Even if we remove from these results patients with a family history of polyps and cancer, there is still a significant increase in the number of positive screenings from the age of 45 ”, analyzes Dr David Karsenti, who led the research.
The need to eat well
Part of the reason for this increase in younger people is in the diet. Colon cancer particularly affects industrialized countries, where processed products, saturated with sugars and fats, fill the refrigerators.
It has long been accepted that a balanced diet and exercise are helpful in preventing colon cancer. The consumption of fiber too, although over the years some studies have contradicted the hypothesis.
Last September, the American Institute of Cancer Research analyzed 99 studies on colon cancer, involving more than 29 million people. According to the results, the best way to prevent the onset of the disease is to avoid eating too much red meat, cold meats, consuming too much alcohol. Among the beneficial products, are cited whole grains (oats, quinoa, rice, bulgur), fruits for their natural fibers, and nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews). However, it is obvious that a “healthy” lifestyle does not exempt from screening.
Karsenti, D. et al (2017), Adenoma detection rate according to age: colonoscopy screening should start at 45 years old, Presented at the 25th UEG Week Barcelona, October 30, 2017.
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