Colorectal cancer (CRC) in young age

During the last 10 years we have seen an alarming trend: CRC is becoming more common among young people (one our patient with rectal cancer was just 26 years old!).

Before CRC was more often in the elderly people, but now it also affects those, who are significantly younger than 50 years old.

Reasons of CRC in young people:

• Unhealthy eating: frequent consumption of unhealthy foods rich in fats and carbohydrates, the predominance of processed foods, abuse of red meat, refusal of fruits, vegetables and grains.

• Lack of physical activity: a modern lifestyle, associated with low mobility, sedentary work and a passion for gadgets.

• Alcohol consumption, smoking and other bad habits.

• Genetic (more often): many cases of CRC are associated with gene mutations and are inherited (cases of CRC or colon polyps in the family).

• Harmful environmental factors: air, water, soil, and food pollution.

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What can we do?

• Follow healthy diet; eat more fruits, vegetables and grains;

• and reduce foods rich in fats, carbohydrates, processed foods, red meat,

• Do not forget about regular physical activity: it helps speed up the digestion process and improves all organs function,

• Start CRC screening (stool for occult blood, colonoscopy) in early age. If a person has 1st or 2nd line relatives with cancer, it is necessary to come for regular CRC screening from the age of 30 or early, if have blood in stool, constipation, long time abdominal pain etc.

• Doctors have to pay attention to family history and regularly examine people, whose relatives have intestinal polyps and colorectal cancer.

Please, stay healthy!