this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2025
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An early release of findings from an Australian study published in medRxiv this week showed the incidence of bowel cancer is up to three times higher among Australians born in the 1990s compared with the 1950s cohort.

Bowel cancer is now the leading cause of death in people aged 25 to 44 in Australia.

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[–] butters@aussie.zone 1 points 4 hours ago

Was just thinking… you know how like some ludicrous % of insect species have died out, maybe it’s bacteria as well. So maybe our gut biomes are deficient in strains that used to be abundant. 🧐

[–] eureka@aussie.zone 39 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Bowel cancer is now the leading cause of death in people aged 25 to 44 in Australia.

This is surprising. It wasn't even in the top 5 a couple of years ago, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (gov).

[edit: another article the day after says it's "the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 44", which I suspect may have been mistakenly transformed into "leading cause of death"]

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/leading-causes-of-death

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 15 points 2 days ago

Thanks, I was finding it pretty astounding as well, so it'd make sense if it was the misinterpretation you've described. Maybe send the Guardian a message noting it so they can check?

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I am astonished that "accidental poisoning" is higher than car crashes in 25–44.

[–] SituationCake@aussie.zone 8 points 2 days ago

Maybe it’s overdose from drugs?

[–] eureka@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

And I'm also surprised it was higher for 25-44 than 15-24, although it could simply be that vehicle accidents knocked it down a spot.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago

Yeah I don't have much of an intuition of how accidental poisoning would change between those ages, but 17–25 is famously the most dangerous age on the road, so I wasn't surprised to see it higher.

[–] BrazenSigilos@ttrpg.network 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Turns out Vegemite is destroying gut flora. /s

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

are you six-foot-four and full of muscle?
because it sounds like you speak-a my language

[–] Taniwha420@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Oh no no no ... The younger generation of Australians DON'T eat Vegemite. Consequently, they're growing weak and unhealthy.

[–] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Sounds like a pain in the ass

[–] No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

Gets you right in the gut

[–] dyathinkhesaurus@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Microplastics, sugar, corn syrup, aspartame, taurine (and who knows wtf else in those energy drinks), caffeine, high cholesterol fats and overprocessed foods, lack of exercise... I wonder if there's any correlation with incidences of auto-immune diseases 🤔

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Might want to figure out what major dietary changes happened in the country starting in the 1990s.

[–] Longmactoppedup@aussie.zone 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Mass consumption of "low fat" (high sugar) processed food like products?

[–] sprite0@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago

there's a documentary on netflix about this called "Hack Your Health: The Secret of Your Gut" and it really opened my eyes to this subject! eat your whole vegetables people!

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 9 points 2 days ago

Obesity is a major predictor of colorectal cancer, which has become more common since the 1990s. Physical exercise and fibre intake may also be independently associated with lower rates of colorectal cancer as well.

[–] JeremyHuntQW12@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Its a relative measurement.

The bowel cancer rate has fallen in over 65s because of the increase in screening.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

I don't think your interpretation is correct. I think that comparison was of data for the two cohorts when they were the same age.

The study, yet to be peer-reviewed, found 28,265 cases of early-onset bowel cancer over the 30 years studied. An estimated 4,347 additional cases were attributable to the rising rates of the disease.

Early-onset cases, however, are increasing by up to 8% per year, the study found.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

More microplastics?

[–] LowExperience2368@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)
[–] butters@aussie.zone 2 points 1 day ago

Yeah ham when I grew up was the processed stuff formed into logs. Devon? Lovely on a sandwich with tomato sauce but I have no idea what was in it!

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 days ago

I feel like it's something use to make food, like, idk, cyclodextrins or something.