Obesity and Alcohol May Be Behind Rise in Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults

According to the National Cancer Institute, alcohol consumption could potentially increase the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 50% and contribute to multiple forms of other cancers, including head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer.

Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist, chief of medicine and Director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA, told Healthline that the study’s findings mirror what is happening in the U.S.

Bilchik was not involved in the study.

“We are seeing the same trend in the U.S.,” Bilchik said. “Alcohol consumption appears like the UK and some northern countries in Europe. Interestingly, this study shows that in France and Italy, where there is a decline in alcohol consumption, there is less of an increase in colon cancer in young adults.”

Dr. Babak Firoozi, board certified gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told Healthline that this form of cancer is the deadliest for young American men.

Firoozi was not involved in the study.

“Per the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in men under age 50, and the second leading cause of cancer death in women under age 50 behind breast cancer,” Firoozi said. “Many of the fastest rising rates of cancer are linked to obesity and alcohol consumption, including esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, people with obesity often have higher levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their blood, accelerating the development of type 2 diabetes. These factors can contribute to colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancer. Chronic inflammation associated with obesity, as well as hormones in fat cells called adikopines, can create conditions that increase the risk of different cancers.

Firoozi noted that aside from the pandemic years, in which alcohol consumption rose globally, the rate of alcohol consumption in both the U.S. and Europe has decreased. However, obesity remains a significant health problem in the U.S.

“The rates of obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S.,” Firoozi said. “There has been an alarming increase in the prevalence of obese Americans in the last 40 years. There are some states, mostly in the south, where more than 30% of the population is obese.”

Bilchik said that these decreases in alcohol use suggest how much obesity and diet and exercise habits are a factor in colorectal cancer, which is decreasing in older adults. This is likely because of better screening techniques and the removal of precancerous polyps.

“Gallup polls demonstrate that alcohol rates are decreasing among younger adults while remaining steady or increasing in older adults. This supports the fact that other factors such as obesity, lifestyle and the environment are all related to the increased incidence of colon cancer in young adults,” Bilchik said. “Obesity rates are increasing exponentially among young adults, particularly in underserved and rural communities. There are many reasons for this — genetics, physical inactivity, an excess of processed food and the expense and access to healthy fruit and vegetables.”

Colorectal cancers are on the rise in young people in the European Union and United Kingdom, a trend that is also occurring in the U.S.

Heavy drinking is a likely culprit, as are the risk factors associated with obesity.

Changes in alcohol consumption, diet and exercise, as well as screening for colorectal cancers for people under 45, are steps that can be taken to reduce risk or catch developing cancers early.