Concern over rise in bowel cancer

A Leicester cancer expert who is trying to develop a tablet to prevent bowel cancer, says he is worried about the rise in cases in young people.

Cases of the disease among the under 30s in England and Wales has increased by 117% over a nine-year period, according to government statistics.

Will Steward, professor of oncology at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said diet was likely to be causing the increase.

He added a lack of exercise was also linked to colon cancer.

Bowel cancer is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in the UK, figures from charity Cancer Research show.

Junk food link

"My colleagues and I have definitely seen an increase in younger patients in recent years and these worrying figures confirm those impressions," said Professor Steward.

"One has to speculate that it must be the sorts of things that children are doing at school which have changed over the last 30 to 40 years, particularly diet and eating more processed food.

The figures also show that the increase in bowel cancer cases among women under the age of 30 was more than a third higher than in men of the same age.

The disease, that can affect the colon or the rectum, can be treated successfully in 90% of cases if caught in time.