More and more people between the ages of 25 and 49 in the European Union and the United Kingdom are dying from colorectal cancer, according to a study by the University of Milan, DPA reports.
More and more young people are dying from colon cancer – Photo Shutterstock
The study, published in the scientific journal Annals of Oncology, shows that the mortality rate due to this condition, among young people between the ages of 25 and 49, is increasing in the EU and the United Kingdom, according to Agerpres.
The high proportion of overweight young people is one of the causes of the increase in the number of deaths, pointed out Carlo La Vecchia, who led the study.
Other factors that increase the risk for this condition are: alcohol consumption and reduced physical activity, according to scientists.
The chances of survival for people younger than 45 are lower than for older people. The reason: the condition is more aggressive among younger people.
One solution suggested by the scientists is to extend bowel cancer screening to younger people, starting at age 45, by health authorities.
Colorectal cancer usually develops from growths (polyps) in the intestinal wall. Polyps can be removed during a colonoscopy before they become potentially cancerous.
According to the German Press Agency, annually in Germany, 55,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 20,000 people die from it in this country.
On the other hand, the research team estimates that in 2024, the death rate from colorectal cancer will increase considerably in the UK compared to 2018 – by 26% in the case of men and by almost 39% in women.
And in Italy, an increase of 1.5% for men and 2.6% for women is expected.
While in Spain and Poland, the increase is estimated at 5.5% for men and 5.9% for women.
In Germany, a 7.2% increase in the number of cases in women between the ages of 25 and 49 is expected.
In our country, 13,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year and because patients present themselves to the doctor late, in the absence of early identification methods, 7,000 people who suffer from this condition die every year. Colorectal cancer ranks second in incidence in women and third in men in Romania.
