Medical experts for Nigeria don raise serious concern as colorectal cancer cases dey increase among young pipo for di country. According to di latest reports, dis cancer wey dey affect colon and rectum, before na only old pipo dem dey see am, but now e dey show for pipo wey still young.
Dr. Ganiyat Oyeleke, one consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist from Gastroderm Clinic for Lagos, talk say di trend don change completely. “For Nigeria, we don see clear shift for age pattern of colorectal cancer. Increasing numbers of cases dey happen for young adults now. Plenty patients dey between 30-50 years, and some cases dey even for pipo wey get 20s,” Oyeleke explain.
Di World Health Organisation don already classify colorectal cancer as di third most common cancer worldwide and di second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. But di new pattern wey dey show for Nigeria dey follow wetin dey happen for oda countries like America, where studies show say colorectal cancer don become di number one deadliest common cancer for adults wey dey under 50 years.
Dr. Eben Aje, one consultant clinician and radiation oncologist from Medserve LUTH Cancer Centre, describe di situation as “something of pandemic” for young population. “Before now, colorectal cancer dey more common for pipo wey dey 50s to 60s age range. But right now, we dey see young pipo wey dey come down with colorectal cancer. We don see patients for dia early 20s and mid-30s,” Aje talk.
Experts say many factors dey cause dis worrying trend. Dr. Oyeleke explain say di shift toward Westernized diets wey dey highly processed and low for fibre na key driver. “Dis kind diets dey promote gut changes and inflammation. Cooking methods like open-flame grilling or smoking at high temperatures dey produce harmful chemicals, especially when food char or burn, and dis dey increase cancer risk,” she add.
Oda factors wey dey contribute include reduced physical activity, rising rates of obesity, and increasing prevalence of metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes wey dem dey see at younger ages now. Genetic predisposition and family history of colorectal cancer fit also play role for some cases.
One big problem wey doctors dey identify na late diagnosis. Many young pipo dey ignore early signs because dem dey think say na small thing. Dr. Oyeleke list di symptoms wey young pipo no suppose ignore: “Rectal bleeding na one of di most important symptoms wey nobody suppose ignore. While plenty young pipo dey assume say na haemorrhoids (piles or jedi-jedi), persistent or recurrent bleeding, especially when e mix with stool, suppose make person go check am.”
Oda warning signs include change for bowel habits like new-onset constipation or diarrhea wey dey persist for several weeks, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain or discomfort, and narrow or “pencil-thin” stools wey fit suggest obstruction for colon.
For America, Dr. Katrina Pedersen, one Mayo Clinic oncologist, talk say about five to ten years ago, about one for every six of her patients get early-onset colorectal cancer. But recently, di rate don change to about one for every four. “Dis na alarming shift wey we still need to understand why e dey happen,” Pedersen talk.
Despite di rising cases for young pipo, overall colorectal cancer incidence don decline by 0.9% from 2013 to 2022 according to American Cancer Society data. But dis decline na mainly because of adults 65 and above. For di same period, rates increase by 3% for young adults under 65 and by 0.4% annually among adults aged 50-64 years.
Di American Cancer Society estimate say nearly 160,000 new cases of colorectal cancer go occur across America for 2026, and about half of current cases dey for pipo younger than 65. Cancer for sigmoid colon and rectum don almost double for 20- to 49-year-olds from 1998 to 2022.
For Nigeria, doctors dey emphasize importance of awareness and early screening. Dr. Aje talk say regular screening na key to tackle di disease at early stage. “Beyond stool tests, colonoscopy dey available, where dem dey pass scope through anus to view whole length of intestine. If any suspicious growth dey there, dem fit remove am and test am. Dat one give di best chance of cure,” he explain.
PUNCH Healthwise don recently report say experts don begin first immunotherapy clinical trial for Nigeria to treat colorectal cancer. Dis treatment dey offer new hope to patients wey dey battle advanced stage of di disease.
Most doctors dey recommend screening start at age 45, but with di current trend, Dr. Pedersen talk say no age dey too young for screening. Di message from medical experts clear: young pipo need to pay attention to dia health, maintain better lifestyle, and seek medical attention immediately if any symptoms show.
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