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Fox News
a day ago
- Health
- Fox News
'Western diet' blamed for growing risk of GI cancers among young adults
The rates of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are rising among young adults, with a new peer-reviewed study pointing to the American diet and lifestyle as the primary culprits. The rising risk in younger generations may be linked more to environmental factors than genetics, stated the report, which was recently published in the British Journal of Surgery. "Some shared risk factors for early-onset (EO) GI cancer include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking," lead researcher Sara Char, M.D., at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told Fox News Digital. The study notes that recent generations are more likely to adopt a "Western-pattern diet" and a "sedentary lifestyle." Colorectal is the most common type of early-onset GI cancer, but pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, biliary, appendiceal and neuroendocrine cancers are also rising in adults under 50, Char noted. Adults born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950, according to a previous study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Paul Oberstein, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that a person's diet does indeed impact the risk of colon cancer. "It is reported from previous studies that when someone has a higher amount of foods typical of a Western diet, they have a higher risk of colon cancer," said Oberstein, who was not involved in the research. A "Western diet" typically includes a higher intake of red and processed meats, processed and added sugars, and highly processed and refined grains, according to the oncologist. Processed deli meats, sugary drinks and processed grain snacks are also commonly associated with this type of diet. While the incidence of colon cancer in this group overall remains low, Oberstein recommends investing in more research to explore which factors are causing the increase. "We need to conduct more research on whether diet, vitamin supplements, alcohol or other things we ingest or use are contributing to this increase," he said. The expert also emphasized the importance of following the recommended colon cancer screening guidelines, which begin at 45 years old for most people, and seeking medical attention if any symptoms appear. Common warning signs include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, unexplained back or abdominal pain, or unintentional weight loss, all of which warrant speaking to a doctor for an "urgent evaluation," according to Char. For more Health articles, visit The researcher added that younger individuals can take preventative measures such as not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol, limiting red meat consumption, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
The 5 common factors ‘behind surge in early-onset bowel cancer' revealed
FIVE key causes of bowel cancer in young people have been flagged by scientists. A paper published by Oxford University Press looked at the surge of young gastrointestinal cancers, which includes the stomach, liver, pancreas, intestine, Advertisement 3 Bowel cancer is increasingly diagnosed in under-50s and experts are blaming the modern lifestyle Credit: Alamy 3 The authors, led by the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, gave a review of what could be behind In Europe, the worst increase is among people in their 20s, with a 7.9 per cent increase over 12 years, according to a study of 20 nations. An 185 per cent jump has been reported in Americans aged 20 to 24 years by the Centers for Disease Control. Early-onset bowel cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death for men under 50 and the second-leading cause for women under 50 in the US. Advertisement Read more cancer warnings But younger people are facing delays in diagnosis as cancer is often not suspected until later. In the UK, bowel cancer cases are still the highest in people aged 85 to 89, and three cases a year are diagnosed in under-30s, according to Cancer Research UK. But its stats show that one in every 20 bowel cancer cases occurs under the age of 50. A major review Advertisement Most read in Health It was the fourth fastest rise recorded, compared to four per cent per year in New Zealand and Chile, and 3.8 per cent in The researchers said associated risk factors include obesity, a Western-style diet, Man, 34, with incurable bowel cancer shared two symptoms he ignored Due to various studies being used, the researchers did not clarify how much alcohol becomes risky, but the NHS suggest a Advertisement Meanwhile, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, when there is a build-up of fat in the liver, already has a number of well-known risks. research carried out by the University of Bristol last year. Obesity - as well as obesity in adolescence and maternal obesity - has been shown to increase early-onset bowel cancer risk. It was defined by the authors as a In a 2019 study of 85,000 women in the US, those with a BMI over 30 had close to double the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer compared to women with lower BMIs. Advertisement Some features of a Western diet - including 3 Being sedentary - and not exercising - could be upping your cancer risk Credit: Getty Advertisement Other than lifestyle factors that can be changed, the authors said "most cases occur sporadically". 'The incidence of GI cancers in adults younger than age 50 is rising globally,' said the paper's lead author, Prof Sara Char, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston. 'Ongoing research efforts investigating the biology of early-onset GI cancers are critical to developing more effective screening, prevention, and treatment strategies.' Sun writer Advertisement The NHS sends at-home sampling kits to everyone aged 54 to 74 every two years. These look for blood in your poo, which could be a sign of bowel cancer. What are the symptoms to look for? Remember 'BOWEL' BOWEL cancer symptoms can be remembered with a simple acronym. It's not easy to remember the key signs, but you can bring them to mind with the word 'BOWEL'. B: Bleeding O: Obvious change in loo habits W: Weight loss E: Extreme tiredness L: Lump or pain
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Exercise as important as drugs in keeping cancer at bay, suggests major new study
A new international study has found that a three-year exercise programme improved survival rates in colon cancer patients, as well as keeping the disease at bay. Experts have said that the benefits of the programme rival some drugs, and that cancer centres and insurance plans should consider making exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. In the meantime, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing that they are helping to prevent the cancer from returning. 'It's an extremely exciting study,' said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn't involved in the research. It's the first randomized controlled trial to show how exercise can help cancer survivors, Meyerhardt said. Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can't prove cause and effect. The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet. 'This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,' said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 'I love this study because it's something I've been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.' The findings were featured Sunday at ASCO's annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Academic research groups in Canada, Australia and the U.K. funded the work. Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years. Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week. 'This is something I could do for myself to make me feel better,' said Swain-Collins, 62, of Kingston, Ontario. Regular contact with a friendly coach kept her motivated and accountable, she said. 'I wouldn't want to go there and say, 'I didn't do anything,' so I was always doing stuff and making sure I got it done.' After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause. There were more muscle strains and other similar problems in the exercise group. 'When we saw the results, we were just astounded,' said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, 'a remarkably affordable intervention that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.' Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else. Swain-Collins' coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home. That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there's a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated. 'Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,' Courneya said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Exercise ‘rivals drugs' in bid to stop cancer returning after treatment
A new international study has found that a three-year exercise programme improved survival rates in colon cancer patients, as well as keeping the disease at bay. Experts have said that the benefits of the programme rival some drugs, and that cancer centres and insurance plans should consider making exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. In the meantime, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing that they are helping to prevent the cancer from returning. 'It's an extremely exciting study,' said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn't involved in the research. It's the first randomized controlled trial to show how exercise can help cancer survivors, Meyerhardt said. Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can't prove cause and effect. The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet. 'This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,' said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 'I love this study because it's something I've been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.' The findings were featured Sunday at ASCO's annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Academic research groups in Canada, Australia and the U.K. funded the work. Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years. Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week. 'This is something I could do for myself to make me feel better,' said Swain-Collins, 62, of Kingston, Ontario. Regular contact with a friendly coach kept her motivated and accountable, she said. 'I wouldn't want to go there and say, 'I didn't do anything,' so I was always doing stuff and making sure I got it done.' After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause. There were more muscle strains and other similar problems in the exercise group. 'When we saw the results, we were just astounded,' said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, 'a remarkably affordable intervention that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.' Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else. Swain-Collins' coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home. That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there's a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated. 'Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,' Courneya said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Medscape
31-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Sacituzumab or Chemo in First-Line TNBC: Which Is Better?
Treatment with pembrolizumab and the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sacituzumab govitecan improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with PD-L1-positive locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with treatment with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, the results of ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 showed. Swapping in sacituzumab govitecan for chemotherapy led to a 3.4-month improvement in PFS and an almost twofold longer duration of response, with potentially fewer adverse events and a lower rate of discontinuations. Currently, pembrolizumab with chemotherapy is the standard of care for PD-L1-positive TNBC, but the 3-year survival rate remains low at about 36%. These findings support sacituzumab govitecan and pembrolizumab as the new standard for previously untreated patients in this setting, said lead investigator Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, who presented the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 annual meeting. Once the new combination with sacituzumab govitecan, which targets the Trop-2 protein on tumor cells, is approved, 'I would recommend it in the first-line setting,' said Tolaney, a breast medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. 'I think this really does change the game for' PD-L1-positive metastatic TNBC, said study discussant Jane Meisel, MD, a breast medical oncologist at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. 'I look forward to seeing this potentially make its way into clinical practice.' The study included 443 women who had either de novo metastatic disease or were at least 6 months away from completing systemic therapy for early-stage disease. Patients had a combined positive PD-L1 score of 10 or higher, and about 40% of TNBC tumors expressed the Trop-2 protein. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to 10 mg/kg sacituzumab govitecan on day 1 and day 8, plus pembrolizumab 200 mg on day 1 of 21-day cycles for a maximum of 35 cycles (n = 221). The other half were randomly assigned to pembrolizumab on the same schedule plus investigators' choice of gemcitabine plus carboplatin or paclitaxel/nab-paclitaxel (n = 222). Approximately 5% of patients had received a prior checkpoint inhibitor for earlier-stage disease; 43% of women in the chemotherapy arm crossed over to sacituzumab govitecan monotherapy after progression. At a median follow-up of 14 months, median PFS was 11.2 months in the sacituzumab govitecan group vs 7.8 months in the chemotherapy group, which translated to a 35% lower risk of cancer progression during follow-up (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; P = .0009). Tolaney noted that PFS in the ADC group increased with higher Trop-2 expression, but the ADC group also did better than the chemotherapy arm regardless of Trop-2 levels, suggesting that 'you didn't need to preselect patients for use of sacituzumab by Trop-2.' Median duration of response was 16.5 months with sacituzumab govitecan vs 9.2 months with chemotherapy. Although overall survival follow-up is ongoing, the trend favors the ADC group (HR, 0.89). Commenting on the study, Julie Gralow, MD, a breast medical oncologist at the University of Washington, Seattle, noted that sacituzumab govitecan is already indicated as monotherapy in the third or later lines for metastatic disease. The ASCENT-04 results 'will likely move this drug, this regimen, earlier in the metastatic setting' for TNBC, Gralow agreed. On the side effect front, the most common (≥10% of patients) grade 3 and 4 adverse events in the sacituzumab govitecan group were neutropenia (43%) and diarrhea (10%); in the chemotherapy group, the most common adverse events were neutropenia (45%), anemia (16%), and thrombocytopenia (14%). Serious adverse events were numerically more common in the ADC arm (38 vs 31), but there were fewer dose reductions and fewer treatment discontinuations than with chemotherapy. 'The nice thing is that many of us have used both of these agents, sacituzumab and pembrolizumab, quite a bit,' and with no new safety signals, breast oncologists will 'feel comfortable with [the combination] once it makes its way into the clinic,' Meisel said. The work was funded by Gilead Sciences, maker of sacituzumab govitecan. Tolaney disclosed research and travel funding from Gilead and is a Gilead advisor. Gralow and Meisel reported no relevant financial relationships.
