New studies show that in the last few years, there has been a significant rise in colon cancer diagnoses, especially amongst the younger generations. Cancer Research UK further elaborated on how rates of early-onset colorectal cancer have taken a new leap, with some of the increases happening in England itself.
Now, scientists have found a link between a specific childhood eating habit and the steepest rise in colon cancer in younger individuals, although some questions remain unanswered.
While it’s not quite clear why more and more young patients are being diagnosed with this type of cancer, new information is being discovered. One of them is a new study that has linked a childhood eating habit to bowel cancer. According to the research, exposure to a particular toxin in childhood or adolescence could potentially pose a risk of developing this cancer as you grow older.
A team of researchers conducted an examination of the DNA of nearly 1,000 bowel cancer tumors from patients in various countries across the world. The study discovered colibactin to be responsible for a mutation. Colibactin is a DNA-damaging toxin produced by certain strains of E. coli bacteria.
The study has shown that the mutations usually occur in the first decade of a person’s birth, indicating that E. coli could cause changes early on in childhood, years before the actual diagnosis is made.
Justin Stebbing, a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University, noted, “Unlike lifestyle risks that build up over decades, colibactin seems to strike during a narrow window – when the microbiome is still forming in childhood or early adulthood.”
Professor Stebbing further explained the reasons behind E. coli growth in early childhood. “Potential triggers could include repeated antibiotic use that disrupts healthy gut bacteria, highly processed diets that favor E. coli growth, and urban living that reduces exposure to diverse microbial environments.”
“These findings may also point to new prevention strategies. Screening programs could focus on younger adults carrying these high-risk bacterial strains, using stool tests to detect colibactin genes,” he added.
The expert noted that high-fiber diets and cutting down on processed foods could promote a healthier gut microbiome, therefore potentially suppressing harmful bacteria like E. coli growth.
The professor noted, “The research also adds weight to calls for lowering colorectal cancer screening ages worldwide since many early-onset cases go undetected under current guidelines.”
Have you seen this in today’s Guardian (left) that toxin secreted by E Coli may be responsible for the rise in bowel cancer in under-50s?
Did you notice they forgot to mention this (right) that E Coli is *five times as likely* after a Covid infection as after Flu? pic.twitter.com/1hCjRCicRT
— tern (@1goodtern) April 23, 2025
However, while this new research is a big breakthrough, there are still some questions that remain unanswered.
Professor Stebbing wrote for The Conversation, “Why do some people carry colibactin-producing bacteria but never develop cancer? How do modern lifestyle factors amplify – or mitigate – these microbial risks? What we do know is that cancer results from the complex interplay between our genes and our environment, including the microscopic world within us.”
Notably, E. coli growth has been found to be 3.3 times more common in people under 40 than in those over 70. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. About 1 in 24 men and 1 in 26 women pose a lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer.
