A new study has found that colorectal cancer incidence rates for both males and females increased in 27 of 51 countries worldwide between 1983 and 2002, and claims that increasing Westernisation is a likely culprit.
The rise was seen primarily in economically transitioning countries including Eastern European countries, most parts of Asia, and some countries of South America. The study published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention suggests that the rise is due to failed early detection and prevention strategy, as well as failure to address lifestyle and dietary challenges of urbanisation that affect most of the globe. Many of the established and suspected modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, a diet high in red or processed meats, and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, are factors associated with economic development or westernisation. The authors say male colorectal cancer incidence rates in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Japan have not only exceeded the peak incidence observed in the United States and other long-standing developed nations, but continue to increase.
