A recent study has uncovered a significant link between diet and the rising cases of colon cancer in younger adults. These findings suggest that certain dietary habits could be contributing to the increased risk of this disease among the younger population. A new Cleveland Clinic study has identified diet-derived chemicals termed metabolites as the primary drivers of young-onset colorectal cancer risk, particularly those associated with red and processed meat.
The NPJ Precision Oncology paper studied metabolite and microbiome datasets and found that discussing food with a doctor is an effective method for younger adults (>60 years) to prevent colorectal cancer. Increased monitoring and screening for colorectal cancer is a very useful tool. Senior author and gastrointestinal oncologist Suneel Kamath, MD, suggests that despite the efficacy of these approaches, physicians should approach younger patients differently.
"At the end of the day, it's impractical to apply our care models for those over 60 to younger adults simply because we cannot give everyone in the system yearly colonoscopies," he explains. "What is much more feasible is to give everyone in the system a simple test to measure a biomarker that determines their colorectal cancer risk. Then we can give the most at-risk individuals appropriate screening.
" Former clinical fellow Thejus Jayakrishnan, MD, and Naseer Sangwan, PhD, director of the Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resource Core co-led the work. Researchers i.