Colon cancer explosion in young people may be caused by toxins breathed in by millions every day

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Colon cancer explosion in young people may be caused by toxins breathed in by millions every day
Published: Dec, 18 2024 13:00

Microscopic pieces of plastic in the air we breathe and the food we eat could be fueling an epidemic of colon cancers in America, new research suggests. Colon cancer diagnoses have surged in the US over the past two decades, with fit, otherwise healthy people in their 20s and 30s increasingly being struck down by the disease.

 [The above graph shows the increase in US colorectal cancers in men and women from 2000 through 2021]
Image Credit: Mail Online [The above graph shows the increase in US colorectal cancers in men and women from 2000 through 2021]

Obesity, ultra-processed foods, and taking antibiotics have all been blamed, but scientists are racing to find a definitive cause. Now, a sweeping review of more than 3,000 studies suggests that tiny particles smaller than a grain of rice could be to blame.

 [Raquel (left) was just 28 when doctors diagnosed her with stage four colon cancer. Evan White (right), from Dallas, was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 24. He died four years later, just weeks before hs wedding]
Image Credit: Mail Online [Raquel (left) was just 28 when doctors diagnosed her with stage four colon cancer. Evan White (right), from Dallas, was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 24. He died four years later, just weeks before hs wedding]

The researchers, from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), said these pervasive particles can accumulate in organs over time, causing irreversible DNA damage. This leads to chronic inflammation that kills healthy cells and causes cancerous cells to grow out of control.

The researchers are now urging lawmakers to 'take immediate action' to limit exposure future exposure to microplastics. Researchers in California suggested that microplastics, which are found in everything from single-use plastic to seafood, could be to blame for America's colon cancer epidemic.

The above graph shows the increase in US colorectal cancers in men and women from 2000 through 2021. Dr Tracey J Woodruff, a professor of professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF, said: 'These microplastics are basically particulate matter air pollution, and we know this type of air pollution is harmful.'.

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