Cancer traumatises old and young
Rising cancer rates in young adults reveal lifestyle, diet, and environmental risks, plus strategies to prevent disease early.
Aside from dementia’s decimating mental shroud, traversing emotional shock and the agony of ongoing treatments, culminating in the relief of a possible cure, has to be the most exacting medical experience that any poor human has to endure.
Until now, cancer has been predominantly an age-related disease. This is because the very phenomena that are thought to bring about ageing also set the stage for the development of cancer. These include mounting distortion and damage to our DNA, which gives birth to abnormal cells that grow into cancer cells, and the weakening of our immune systems, which are less able to defend against and eliminate these defective cells. This is compounded by the escalation of chronic inflammation, which adds incendiary fuel to the rapidly growing, destructive wildfires wreaking havoc in our bodies. Add to this raging inferno the dysbiosis or the imbalance of germs in our gut, which further diminishes our immune systems, and we have the perfect storm for the genesis and evolution of potentially lethal, indefensible cancers.
What is even more shocking is the evidence that now indicates that the whole landscape of cancer is undergoing a seismic transformation. Colon cancer used to be an older person’s disease, similarly for pancreatic and stomach cancer. However, over the past 20 years, the medical fraternity has borne witness to an alarming upsurge in the incidence of these diseases in the young.
This is an unexpected phenomenon, given the fact that young people smoke less (although vaping, only recently widely embraced by the young, is on the rise), they exercise more than their forebears, are seemingly more aware of heathy eating habits and idealise their bodies. In the USA today, four out of 10 adults will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lifetime and, for one of these unfortunate souls, this will occur before they reach the milestone of their 50th birthday.
This is partly due to the fact that screening is now happening more frequently with more refi ned and sophisticated technology. But so disturbing is this leap in cancer incidence among the young that the American Cancer Society now recommends the practice of commencing colonoscopies at the age of 45.
This early uptick in cancer statistics has got doctors and scientists spooked for a host of reasons. There is an unexpected escalation in lung cancers in young, non-smoking women, for example, who are often ostensibly healthy: vegetarians, long-distance runners and keen swimmers. Marathon running actually boosts the immune system and protects against cancer, as well as viruses and bacteria. Vegetarianism and a plant-based diet are also supposed to prevent cancer.
The keto and carnivore diets widely championed by the young as a vehicle for spawning a healthy body often favours red-meat consumption. Although it’s rich in protein and other nutrients, and might help us to feel full and eat less, cooking red meat at high temperatures releases cancer-inducing chemicals called heterocyclic amines that are major contributors to breast, stomach, pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Interestingly, poultry has been shown to have a diminished association with cancer. Eating unprocessed food and excessive alcohol consumption are also culprits. For women, more than one alcoholic drink daily is associated with increased breast cancer risk.
Eggs, another mainstay of the high-protein diet, are another food that warrants attention. Some observational studies have shown higher egg intake with a modest increase in the risk of hormone-related cancers, including breast, ovarian and prostate. The focus often lands on the yolk, which contains cholesterol and choline, nutrients essential to health but also under investigation for their role in cancer development. For women, some studies suggest a modest increase in breast cancer risk with an egg intake of five or more per week, though other research shows the risk may be more pronounced at moderate levels, two to five weekly. While the evidence remains inconsistent, it may be wise to enjoy eggs as part of a varied, plant-rich diet.
Aside from suboptimal eating and drinking habits, tinkering with the gut microbiome by ingesting frequent rounds of antibiotics might seed a vulnerable and damaged internal environment, making it easier for cancer cells to take hold.
The ubiquitous presence of microplastics, a modern-day evil, and our constant exposure to artificial light, compounded by the obsession with our smartphones, all conspire to damage our DNA, propagating abnormal cells that can morph into cancers. Being overweight can add further fuel to the fire. Doctors are using medications such as Wegovy, an Ozempic mimic, to help with weight loss in young cancer sufferers who are in remission in the hope that this will prevent cancer recurrence.
There are specific strategies for individual cancers that might help to abort these diseases before they take hold (which I write about in my latest book The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing). Adopting an all-encompassing blueprint for preventing cancer in those we least expect to get this awful disease might be equally prudent.
