A recent study published in a leading medical journal this week reveals a concerning finding: Australia has the highest rate of early-onset bowel cancer among young people worldwide. Conducted by the American Cancer Society and published in *The Lancet*, the study compared bowel cancer incidence rates in individuals under and over 50 years old across 50 countries globally.
Read Also...:
Adelaide ranked hottest city in the world as state smothered by hottest day in years
02-13, 2025
All hell is going to break out': Trump says ceasefire deal should be cancelled if Hamas doesn't release all h
02-13, 2025
'We'll bring hygge to Hollywood': Danes jokingly petition to buy California as Trump seeks Greenland
02-13, 2025
Trump says he and Russian leader Putin have agreed to begin 'negotiations' on ending Ukraine war
02-13, 2025The study results indicate that Australia has the highest incidence of early-onset bowel cancer, with 16.5 people per 100,000 diagnosed with the disease annually. The United States follows closely with a diagnosis rate of 15.2 people, and New Zealand with 14.8 people. While affluent Western countries still dominate the top spots, low-income countries in Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean are also experiencing rising bowel cancer rates.
Notably, in most of the countries studied, including Australia, bowel cancer incidence rates are actually declining in people over 50. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Although treatment is very effective in the early stages, there are often few symptoms until the cancer has spread.
In Australia, approximately 1,700 people are diagnosed with early-onset bowel cancer each year. Potential symptoms include blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, unexplained anemia, and persistent changes in bowel habits. In response to this trend, the Australian government lowered the eligible age for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 50 to 45 years in July.
However, screening for those aged 45 to 49 is conducted on a voluntary basis, rather than automatically receiving mailed tests. Previously, data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that bowel cancer rates in people aged 20 to 34 had increased by 134% in the past 18 years. The authors of *The Lancet* paper speculate that changing dietary habits, including increased consumption of red and processed meats, sugars, and convenience foods, along with increasingly sedentary lifestyles among young people in high-income countries, may be contributing to this intergenerational increase. Conversely, increased awareness and national screening programs, such as the one in Australia, may be helping to lower diagnosis rates in older adults. The American Cancer Society's findings were published in *The Lancet Oncology* yesterday.
