Approximately 104,270 new cases of colon cancer and 45,230 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. One in 23 men will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime, as well as one in 25 women, making it the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States among people of either sex.
This is why it is so important for people to reduce risk factors, including moving more, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight. However, there is one surprising dietary factor - and yet it is easy to change. A new study found that the development of colorectal cancer is associated with one type of food: eating red meat.
In a new paper published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, the authors presented data on 3,767 people under 50 with early-onset colorectal cancer and 4,049 patients with this cancer in 13 studies, as well as 23,437 people over 50. with colorectal cancer and 35,311 members of the control group over 50 years old.
Among younger people with colorectal cancer, higher consumption of red meat was associated with a 10% increased risk of the disease. Previously identified factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer in the general population, including smoking and high BMI, did not increase the risk of colorectal cancer in people under 50.
Surprisingly, the use of alcohol, which the American Cancer Society has long considered a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer, has turned out to be questionable in connection with this type of cancer.