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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The incidence of early onset colorectal cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2000–2020
ClearThe Impact of the Gut Microbiome, Environment, and Diet in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Development
This review explores why colorectal cancer is increasing among younger people, pointing to changes in gut bacteria, diet, and environmental exposures as likely contributors. Microplastics are discussed as one of several environmental factors that may be disrupting the gut microbiome and promoting inflammation linked to cancer development. The findings suggest that the rising tide of environmental contaminants, including microplastics, could be playing a role in this troubling health trend.
Why Is Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier? Metabolic Dysfunction, Underrecognized Carcinogens, and Emerging Controversies
Researchers reviewed the rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer in people under 50, synthesizing epidemiological, molecular, and multi-omics evidence that implicates metabolic dysfunction, accelerated epigenetic aging, gut microbiome dysbiosis, and modern environmental exposures including micro- and nanoplastics as converging contributors to this trend.
Microplastics and the Rising Tide of Early‐Onset Colorectal Cancer: Exploring the Environmental Gut Connection
This paper explores the potential connection between microplastic exposure and the rising rates of early-onset colorectal cancer. The study discusses how microplastics may interact with the gut environment, suggesting that further research is needed to understand whether environmental microplastic contamination could be contributing to this emerging health trend.
The colorectal cancer conundrum: the rising burden in younger adults
Researchers analyzing 2025 U.S. cancer statistics found that colorectal cancer incidence is rising, with a notable shift toward younger adults and women — a trend that has accelerated in recent decades and is not fully explained by known risk factors. This changing demographic pattern raises questions about emerging environmental or lifestyle exposures, including potential roles for microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Could Microplastics Be a Driver for Early Onset Colorectal Cancer?
This paper explores whether microplastics could be contributing to the rising rates of colorectal cancer in people under 50. The timing of this increase lines up with the mass production of plastics starting in the 1950s, and microplastics are known to disrupt the gut lining and interact with gut bacteria in ways that could promote cancer. While not proven, the authors argue this connection deserves urgent research given how much plastic humans now ingest.
Is it time to reduce the age of screening for colorectal cancer?
This paper is not about microplastics; it is a brief New Zealand Medical Journal editorial discussing whether the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening should be lowered.
Don't take this lying down: an urgent wakeup call: the weight of diet and lifestyle in the young‐onset colorectal cancer surge
This editorial discusses the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer (YO-CRC) in developed nations, noting that CRC is projected to become the leading cause of cancer mortality in those aged 20–49 by 2030, and examines the role of diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors including potential contributions from microplastics. It calls for urgent research and preventive action targeting modifiable risk factors in young adults.
Rethinking the rise of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: a call to action
A multidisciplinary team of researchers is raising the alarm about a dramatic increase in gastrointestinal cancers in people under 50 since the early 1990s, including colorectal, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. The causes remain poorly understood, but the researchers call for studying environmental exposures including the full range of chemicals people encounter throughout their lives. While the paper does not name microplastics specifically, the rise in early-onset GI cancers coincides with increasing environmental plastic pollution, and the gut is a primary site of microplastic accumulation in the body.
Project MEPROT: Shaping the Future of Early Onset Colorectal Cancer Prevention
This roadmap paper reviews the rising rates of early onset colorectal cancer in people under 50 and proposes a transdisciplinary research framework called Project MEPROT to accelerate the discovery of causal risk factors, including early-life and gut microbial exposures. The author highlights critical gaps in understanding how lifestyle, environmental, and microbiome-related factors contribute to cancer development at younger ages. The study calls for integrating population science, mechanistic research, and behavioral studies to develop effective prevention strategies.
The Influence of Ultra-Processed Food on Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review
This systematic review of 24 studies found an association between diets high in ultra-processed foods and increased colorectal cancer incidence. The harmful effects are driven by high levels of sugar, fat, red meat, and additives in these foods, compounded by sedentary lifestyles and obesity.
Relationship between microplastics in stool, diet, and inflammatory markers in healthy Japanese individuals
Researchers investigated the relationship between microplastics found in stool, dietary intake, and inflammatory markers in healthy Japanese individuals who typically consume a diet high in vegetables and seafood. The study explored how different types of microplastics in the intestinal tract may correlate with gastrointestinal inflammation and oxidative stress markers. The findings contribute to understanding how dietary habits influence microplastic exposure and its potential effects on gut health.
The clinical relevance of microplastic exposure on colorectal cancer: A systematic review
This systematic review of four studies found that microplastic accumulation in colorectal cancer tissue (25.9-32.2 particles/g) was significantly higher than in healthy controls, with polyamide, polycarbonate, and polypropylene as the most common polymers detected. While a causal relationship has not been established, the evidence points to microplastics as a potential environmental factor in colorectal cancer development.
Orally Ingested Micro- and Nano-Plastics: A Hidden Driver of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer.
This review synthesizes evidence linking ingested micro- and nano-plastics to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer risk, proposing that microplastics act as a hidden driver of gut inflammation in vulnerable populations. The authors argue that intestinal accumulation of microplastics triggers immune and oxidative stress pathways that contribute to disease progression.
Impact on human health of microplastics in the new zealand diet
Researchers characterized microplastic contamination levels across multiple food categories in the New Zealand diet, including mahinga kai (wild food), and assessed the bioaccessibility and potential systemic uptake of ingested microplastics using in vitro bioavailability assays to evaluate dietary exposure risks and identify mitigation strategies.
Analyzing socio-environmental determinants of bone and soft tissue cancer in Indonesia
Researchers analyzing bone and soft tissue cancer cases in Indonesia found that older age and proximity to the sea were significant risk factors, suggesting that environmental exposures — potentially including coastal pollution — may play a role alongside biological factors in driving these cancers.
Role of dietary nutrients and metabolism in colorectal cancer.
This review examines how dietary nutrients including glucose, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and prebiotics may influence colorectal cancer risk and progression. The study discusses metabolic interactions between tumor cells, the tumor microenvironment, and gut microbiota, suggesting that nutritional factors play a meaningful role in shaping these complex biological processes.
Associations between microplastics in human feces and colorectal cancer risk
In a study of 258 colorectal cancer patients and 493 healthy controls, researchers found significantly higher levels of microplastics in the stool of cancer patients, with those in the highest exposure group having 11 times the odds of colorectal cancer. This is one of the first studies in humans to provide epidemiological evidence of a potential link between microplastic exposure and cancer risk, though more research is needed to determine if the relationship is causal.
Identification and analysis of microplastics in peritumoral and tumor tissues of colorectal cancer
Researchers examined tumor and surrounding tissue from colorectal cancer patients and found a diverse range of microplastics, including PVC and polyethylene, with tumor tissues containing a greater variety and higher distribution of microplastics than adjacent healthy tissue. A protein called clathrin that helps cells absorb materials was highly active in the cancer tissue, suggesting it may facilitate microplastic uptake and pointing to a potential link between microplastic exposure and colorectal cancer development.
Cancer and Food-Related Risks: A Review
This review examines the relationship between diet, food-related environmental exposures, and cancer risk, covering evidence for carcinogenic dietary patterns, contaminants in food including persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals, and the emerging concern of microplastics as potential carcinogens. The authors emphasize that dietary risk is multi-factorial and that improving food safety standards remains a key prevention lever.
Adverse health effects of emerging contaminants on inflammatory bowel disease
This review summarizes how emerging environmental contaminants, including microplastics, endocrine disruptors, herbicides, and heavy metals, may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers found evidence that these pollutants can disrupt gut barrier function, alter the microbiome, and trigger immune responses linked to bowel inflammation. The study suggests that reducing exposure to these increasingly common contaminants could help lower the rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease.
Microplastics and Colorectal Cancer: Presence in Human Colorectal Tissues and Associations with Tumor Biology- A Systematic Review
This review of 13 studies found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are present in human colon tissues, with higher amounts found in cancerous tumors compared to healthy tissue. The research suggests these plastic particles may contribute to colon cancer development by causing inflammation and creating conditions that help tumors grow. While more research is needed to prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, this highlights growing concerns about how plastic pollution in our environment and food supply might affect human health.
Microplastics in Early Onset Carcinogenesis
This review examines the emerging hypothesis that chronic microplastic exposure may contribute to cancer risk, noting that these particles provoke oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and microbiome disruption. Researchers highlight a temporal overlap between rising plastic production since the 1950s and increasing rates of early-onset cancers, though a causal link has not been established. The study suggests that lifelong microplastic exposure beginning in utero warrants further investigation as a potential contributing factor.
Colon Organoids as Experimental Models to Study the Effect of Micro-Nanoparticles as a Driver of Early-Onset Colon Cancer
Researchers used human colon organoids—three-dimensional tissue models derived from patient biopsies—as experimental platforms to investigate whether micro- and nanoplastic exposure could drive early-onset colorectal cancer development. Organoid exposure to various micro/nanoplastic types induced cellular stress responses, barrier disruption, and pro-carcinogenic gene expression patterns relevant to colorectal cancer initiation.
Comparative Analysis of Physical and Polymer Characteristics of Microplastics Detected in Human Colorectal Cancer Samples From the United States and Malaysia
Researchers compared the physical and chemical characteristics of microplastics found in colorectal cancer tissue samples from patients in the United States and Malaysia. Microplastics were detected in samples from both populations, with some similarities in polymer types but also distinct differences in particle size and shape between the two groups. The study adds to growing evidence that microplastics accumulate in human tissues, though more research is needed to understand any potential health implications.