Colon cancer, one of the most prevalent tumors in Spain, shows a worrying trend: its incidence is growing among the younger population. According to oncologist Elena Élez, this type of cancer is traditionally associated with aging, which highlights the importance of studying the factors that could be accelerating its onset at earlier ages.
“"This type of cancer is associated with aging; that is, getting older is a risk factor for developing the disease. Therefore, what is being studied is that there may be exposure factors causing the pathology to appear earlier, and we are seeing it in younger people more and more."
Among the possible causes being analyzed, Dr. Élez mentions factors such as pollution, microbiome modulation, antibiotic exposure, certain types of diets, and sleep patterns. These elements could be contributing to the early manifestation of the disease, although they have not yet been definitively identified.
Detection in young patients is complicated, as symptoms like bleeding, changes in bowel habits, or significant weight loss do not raise the same suspicion as in older individuals. This delay in diagnosis increases the risk of the tumor being in an advanced stage. Primary prevention, through healthy lifestyles from childhood, and secondary prevention, with screening programs, are fundamental.
In terms of treatments, substantial improvements have occurred over the last decade. The implementation of population-based screening programs has allowed for earlier diagnoses, and a deeper understanding of tumor biology has facilitated the development of targeted therapies. Currently, more than six lines of chemotherapy and immunotherapy are available, in contrast to the few options previously.
Dr. Élez, who was the physician of singer Pau Donés, highlights his work in destigmatizing the disease and his contribution to research. Furthermore, Élez is part of an international clinical trial that has shown an innovative combination of drugs with chemotherapy doubles survival in patients with metastatic colon cancer with a BRAF V600E gene mutation, one of the types with the worst prognosis. Approval from the European Medicines Agency is awaited for this therapy, which could benefit between 8% and 12% of patients.
Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed tumor globally and the second leading cause of cancer death in Europe. In the Lleida region, 413 new cases of colon and rectum cancer were diagnosed in 2024, making it the most frequent type of tumor among men in the province and the second most frequent in women.
