TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Cases of colorectal cancer have increased 500% among children over the past two decades, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases also increased by 333% among 15-19 year olds and 185% among 20-24 year olds, according to the study. However, the Moffitt Cancer Center notes that while the increase in rates is high, the overall number of cases remains low.
The data was presented Monday during Digestive Diseases Week.
According to the Moffitt Cancer Center, in 2020, 0.6 children (10-14) per 100,000 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. This figure was 0.1 per 100,000 in 1999.
“These results are definitely alarming for our society,” Tiago Biachi, an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, said in a statement. “Obviously, this is not a reason to start screening children by colonoscopy, but to discuss what is behind this phenomenon. »
Biachi said that because of the time it takes for colorectal cancer to develop, children diagnosed were likely exposed to risk factors at a “very young age.”
Obesity, diets containing high amounts of processed foods, a sedentary lifestyle and antibiotics that alter a child’s gut microbiome are believed to be factors in the development of colorectal cancer in children, according to the Moffitt Cancer Center .
Symptoms include persistent abdominal pain, cramping, change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, constipation, diarrhea, or bleeding. Current guidelines recommend colonoscopy screenings starting at age 45 for asymptomatic people. Regardless of age, anyone with symptoms should be screened.
News Source : www.wfla.com
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