Appolonia Adeyemi 
A Cleveland Clinic study in the United States has identified diet derived molecules called metabolites as the main drivers of young-onset colorectal cancer risk, especially those associated with red and processed meat.
The Precision Oncology report, which analysed metabolite and microbiome datasets, highlighted that one of the best ways a younger (<60 years) adult can prevent colorectal cancer is to discuss their diet with their doctor.
The npj Digital Medicine is a peer-reviewed open-access medical journal covering all aspects of digital medicine. Increased monitoring and screening for colorectal cancer is an extremely helpful tool.
Despite the success of these methods, these data indicate physicians can take a different approach with their younger patients, according to senior author and gastrointestinal oncologist Suneel Kamath, MD.
“At the end of the day, it’s impractical to apply our care models for those over 60 to younger adults simply because we cannot give everyone in the system yearly colonoscopies,” he explained.
“What is much more feasible is to give everyone in the system a simple test to measure a biomarker that determines their colorectal cancer risk. Then we can give the most at-risk individuals appropriate screening.”
