Cancer surge among young people. The cause is usually meat, alcohol, vaping and oral sex

Scientists attribute the sharp increase in cancer among the young population under 40 to poor lifestyles. Specifically, they mean the consumption of industrially processed foods (mainly hot dogs and hamburgers), oral sex or alcohol and vaping, due to which microbes enter the body. The biggest increase was recorded in colorectal cancer, which affects the colon and rectum. For example, The Telegraph reported on the conclusions of the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The number of patients suffering from colorectal cancer among young people under the age of forty has increased significantly. In fact, the number of cases is expected to double by 2030. This type of cancer is also expected to become the cancer with the highest mortality rate for people aged 20 to 49 by the end of this century. The asymptomatic nature of some cases or, on the contrary, ignoring the symptoms of the disease by younger people also contributes to the deterioration.

“Studies show an increase in colorectal cancer. The problem is that some of these cases are asymptomatic or young people completely ignore the symptoms, then advanced cancer is not easy to cure,” explains doctor and researcher Dimitra Lamprinaki of the Quadram Institute in Norwich.

Cancer cases are increasing in people under the age of fifty. According to recently published research, their number increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019. While some of the bad habits contributing to cancer, such as the consumption of industrially processed foods and alcohol, were already present in the generation of millennials, scientists simultaneously discovered the connection of all mentioned problematic habits with microbes. These microbes fuel bad habits and subsequently lead to more aggressive forms of cancer that are more difficult to treat.

The new bad habit of vaping

One of the newer vices of today’s young population is vaping and excessive sugar consumption, according to the Pure Periodontics London Clinic. Both factors lead to impaired blood supply to the oral mucosa and gums, which, on a wider scale, leads to a number of cancers such as breast, colorectal or head and neck cancer. In addition, a high intake of sugar and smoking electronic cigarettes leads to the appearance of the bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum. “It’s a sticky microorganism that sticks to the surface of the teeth and gums and causes other harmful bacteria to appear,” explains Dr. Tim O’Brien, an oncologist and researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. The bacterium also reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy and other radiation-based treatments. .

Processed foods

The latest research shows that the current trend of consuming industrially processed meat products such as hot dogs and hamburgers can lead to a number of diseases including stomach cancer. Stomach cancer in people under the age of fifty has also seen a high increase. One of the best-known risk factors for stomach cancer is Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for around 40% of cases in the UK. Bacteria live in the stomach lining and contribute to a number of diseases, such as atrophic gastritis, chronic inflammation of the stomach or thinning of the stomach lining, all of which can progress to cancer.

Other factors

In addition to bacteria, viruses also contribute to cancer. One of them is, for example, the papillomavirus HPV, which is sexually transmitted. Specialists from the United Kingdom have noted an increasing incidence of oral cancer, especially among people aged 40 to 49, with half of these cases linked to the aforementioned virus, which is often transmitted through oral sex.

Excessive alcohol consumption is also a risk. For example, some population studies have identified an association between excessive alcohol consumption and testicular cancer. It was found that young men who consume 14 or more alcoholic drinks per week face a greater risk. However, heredity plays a major role in this cancer.

A new treatment

However, the newly discovered link between microbes and various forms of cancer in young people could lead to more effective treatments. For example, phage therapy, which involves the administration of specially engineered viruses that feed on a particular type of problematic bacteria, or targeted vaccines. Scientists want to test the new discoveries first on mice before treating patients.