Australian researchers build biobank to study rising bowel cancer in young people

Sunshine Coast researchers are establishing a biobank of human tissue to investigate a concerning rise in bowel cancer diagnoses among individuals under 50. This collaborative effort between Sunshine Coast University Hospital and the University of the Sunshine Coast seeks to determine if modern living conditions are contributing to this trend.

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We're going to study these tissues in extreme depth to try and understand if it is a new disease compared to traditional bowel cancer and also understand if we can treat it differently to improve patient outcomes.

Cancer biologist Lochlan Fennell from UniSC stated the goal is to collect up to 60 samples over three years. "We're going to study these tissues in extreme depth to try and understand if it is a new disease compared to traditional bowel cancer and also understand if we can treat it differently to improve patient outcomes," Fennell said. He noted that while bowel cancer rates have decreased in older populations, they have surged by approximately 300% in patients under 50 in the past three decades, a development that remains unexplained.

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We've done really well at reducing disease in people over 50, it's gone up by about 300 per cent over the past 30 years in patients aged under 50 years of age.

The $2.5 million research initiative will gather blood and tissue samples from patients diagnosed with early-onset bowel cancer at Sunshine Coast Health facilities. Researchers are hopeful for initial findings by year's end, particularly regarding whether the disease presents differently at a molecular level compared to traditional bowel cancer. The study, funded by Cancer Australia and the National Health and Medical Research Council, will explore potential links to new lifestyle exposures like microplastics, chemicals, and bacterial toxins.

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This is really troubling because we don't actually know why that's occurred.

Bowel Cancer Australia identifies it as the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 54. Michael Allen, acting medical director of Medical Oncology at Sunshine Coast Health, reported that 8-10% of their patients are now under 40. "There's often delays in diagnoses in younger patients because there is a misconception that young people don't get cancer, and what we're seeing is far from that," Allen stated. He urged young people to be aware of symptoms such as bleeding, altered bowel habits, significant constipation, unexplained weight loss, abdominal discomfort, or bloating. Bowel cancer patient advocate Natalie Hunter, diagnosed at 43, also stressed the importance of young people taking symptoms seriously.

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Especially relating to if the disease is different to what we've seen traditionally.