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What's Behind the Rise in Colon Cancer in Young Guys? (www.menshealth.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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[–] 73 points 6 months ago (6 children)

tl;dr: we don't know yet.

If I had to guess, I'd say microplastics or some dietary thing like aspartame.

But there's also a link between colon cancer and running. The article mentions two people as pictures of health who run a lot.

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  • [–] 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    We don't know yet, but the article mentions it's likely that the gut microbiome is involved, which means microplastics and food additives are unlikely to have much of an importance.

    There are plenty of pathogens that cause cancers, and the article implies something about our lifestyle or their own evolution has turned a formerly benign entity against us.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    My bet's on Long COVID. It's been connected to so many other random medical issues popping up (including diabetes, low sperm counts, and early onset Alzheimers IIRC) that it may as well be connected to ass cancer as well.

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    • [–] 70 points 6 months ago* (6 children)

    Mine went from zero to stage 2 in 6 months, no family history, no genetic pre-disposition. Surgery 1 week from today.

    March is colon cancer awareness month, get checked and wear blue.

    Pro-tip, the stuff they make you drink before hand is NASTY. It tastes like salt water and not even GOOD salt water, salt water made with that fake potassium salt.

    But if you add Gatorade powder (lime or arctic cherry, green or white drinks only, no orange or red) it's drinkable. One glass every 12 minutes for 2 hours, wait 6 hours and do it again:

    .

    Colonoscopy itself is no big deal, you're out for the whole thing!

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  • [–] 25 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    When I did mine I made the mistake of trusting a fart... Don't trust your farts while taking this

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Colonoscopy itself is no big deal, you’re out for the whole thing!

    I mean if you're in pain, sure, do it.

    Otherwise I recommend staying awake (do ask your doctor though). I had a blast looking so deep inside me, but I had no issues (like tumors or inflammation) and the awful drink actually cured my constipation (the chronic constipation being the reason why I had colonoscopy in the first place).

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    If it had JUST been a colonoscopy, yeah, but they wanted an endoscopy as well ("Oh, a spit roast!" - "Don't call it that!")

    I've had so many medical things done that I always opt to be out when possible.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago*

    I had an endoscopy (gastroscopy is the word I think?) once (tube from the front and they took something for biopsy) and I cried and gagged with snot during the whole procedure. I concur, I'd rather be out next time I have to have it.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Sorry to hear. Best of luck!

    How did you find out?

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    Was struggling with anemia, low energy, out of breath, blood panels showed low hemoglobin, poor red blood cell counts, small and irregular red blood cells.

    Something was chewing up all the red blood cells. Had a colonoscopy / endoscopy ("Oh, so a spit roast!" - "Don't call it that!") and they found 17 polyps. 2 were abnormally large (>5mm) one was 20mm, one 30mm.

    No cancer though, wanted to re-do in January.

    Went back, 6 more polyps, one 20mm + stage 2 cancer.

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    • [–] 34 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s—runners, CrossFitters, lifelong nonsmokers—were streaming through her door at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They all appeared lively and strong—yet there they were, battling colorectal cancers

    Well there's your problem. Don't run, drink beer with friends, smoke socially and you'd happily get to retirement! 🤭

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  • [–] 20 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Perhaps overconsumption of protein?

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  • [–] 17 points 6 months ago (10 children)

    Same thought i had. A lot of men nowadays eat almost no fibre, which is very important in preventing colon cancer.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago

    Distance running has been scientifically linked to an increase in colon cancer rates, and CrossFit could easily be similarly unhealthy as far as inducing extra stress on the intestine by being an activity that can lead to dehydration while violently shaking things around in there more than what could be considered "normal."

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    • [–] 24 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Not enough fiber. Everyone eating carnivore diets and nobody eating fibrous foods

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    • [–] 23 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 child)

    F. nucleatum animalis. Cancer causing bacteria. No l, there's not much you can do. Results of the 2024 study by Nature.

    https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2024/colorectal-cancer-fna-c2-bacteria

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    • [–] 17 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Definitely need more research. I was diagnosed at 36 and had no genetic predisposition. Doc said I was just "unlucky."

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    What prompted you to get checked?

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  • [–] 8 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    There were two symptoms. My stool started to get smaller in diameter because the tumor was squeezing the colon, and I started to have abdominal pain because the tumor attached itself to the inner lining of my abdomen.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Thank you for sharing, I appreciate you.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    You're welcome! I'm always happy to answer questions about it. Get checked out if you have any symptoms whatsoever.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    I've pretty much always had digestive issues, but then again I've pretty much always had anxiety. I've gotten a lot better at differentiating my anxiety from actual issues, but a large part of that journey has been talking to doctors and getting tested for things... And then them inevitably telling me everything seems fine 😅

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    • [–] 10 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Let me guess it's all the "food" we eat

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    • [–] 4 points 6 months ago* (1 child)

    I'm curious if as kids they loved the sour candy stuff popular during their youth, could there be a connection or correlation?

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  • [–] 11 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Is there a reason you're jumping on sour candy specifically here?

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago*

    Ok, not op, but hear me out.

    Sour candy is typically flavored with various acids citric, malic, tartaric, etc. to achieve the sour taste.

    If the bacteria is normally in the mouth, but not typically able to survive the acidic environment of the gut, maybe that additional acid from sour candy was able to add selective pressure, and the surviving bacteria were then less affected by stomach acid.

    MAYBE

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    • [–] 3 points 6 months ago

    If youre nervous about colonoscopies there are alternatives out there. Tests like Cologuard are much less invasive. They are not 100% accurate, but something is better than nothing when it comes to colon cancer.

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