Live data from Hacker News

Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

theguardian.com

91–100 of 226 posts

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#91
post #40
post #6

They need to lower the screening to 40. I just had mine at 40, turned out fine luckily. Did it without sedation which my doctor said was rare in US, but common outside of US. I found surprising, wasn't that big of a deal. Pain was probably at a 7/10 during the turns (like 3 times) but ok the rest of the time. A little uncomfortable. Some new sensations, some familiar (feeling like you are crapping your pants). I walk…

The prep is by far the worst of it. I wish they could do it differently.

I've done it enough times that I'm totally fine with it: the electrolyte drink tastes like slightly bad-tasting Gatorade, which is hardly worth caring about.

And you get diarrhea-like bathroom runs half a dozen times maybe.

Yes it was annoying to get the runs and gross to drink the stuff the first few times, but people eat things like cow tongue or live octopus or whatever... I can handle some bad-tasting Gatorade and some diarrhea just fine, especially given the 5 years of peace-of-mind it buys me afterward.

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#92
post #18
post #2

There is going to be some big AHA moment tied so couple food practices. Like washing chicken in chlorine or something. I wonder how are the stats in other developed countries. The title says US.

The trend has been down, even for this cancer. Such that I agree there were probably some big AHA moments. But I assert they almost certainly happened 50 years ago. My expectation is that it is less that there has been a growing trend of this cancer getting worse, and far more that we have gotten better at many other cancers. That is, overall, this is good news on progress. Not a scare headline.

I grew up in a fairly industrial area with lots of trades people around me. From my anecdata, I'd suspect you're right. We know more about some cancers and the causes and they are easier to prevent.

The choices, personal or otherwise, I have seen can't be good for your body, and some you're simply not allowed to make anymore.

Ironically, sitting on this laptop typing this might be as bad, but win some/lose some.

But some obvious examples?

Ever dip a shirt in benzene because it cools you down? Apparently it feels like Vicks, but doesn't leave that sticky feeling behind.

A good portion drank 6+ beers a day. I know they must have eaten, but some I never saw consume food. At all.

Some smoked a pack or two of cigarettes a day. Asbestos was in everything.

There was no ventilation/filtration for welders, painters, woodworkers, etc. If you could open the shop door it was a good day.

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#93
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My money is on massive overexposure to high fructose corn syrup in the Western diet. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170474/

Sugar is 50:50 fructose:sugar and "high"-fructose sugar is 55:45. The slight difference in fructose:sugar between the two is not significant in terms of health outcomes, unless you mean sugar in general.

It's partly the pervasiveness of that product because it's in fking everything in the US at least. Why is it in BREAD? https://www.thedailymeal.com/1306301/unhealthiest-store-boug...

It's also the crazy amounts: we're accustomed to high levels of sweetness. Like 40g sugar in a can of soda.

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#94

So many folks that have it say things like "I was super healthy! Did exercise, young, don't drink, etc." Then you dig deeper and realize the last vegetable meal they ate was a soggy brussel sprout their mom made them when they were 17 years old, and also eat cold cut turkey sandwiches every lunch because they're "healthy", and maybe have a tiny shred of lettuce in the sandwich. For breakfast, they eat pancakes or sug…

"Guys, it's not the chemicals present in every packaged food you ever set your eyes on, or the pesticides every vegetable is grown in, it's just that you don't eat vegetables."

This just in, chemicals = bad

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#95
My step-brother had this around 40. He's okay now, but it was a terrible process involving surgery, carrying around a bag, and chemo which aged him significantly during treatment (from no gray hair to all gray in a couple years).

You would have never guessed he was an unhealthy guy by looking at him, but I do assume it has something to do with foods we consider normal in the US. I've taken a page out of Bryan Johnson's book and started eating well over 100% of recommended daily fiber intake (easy and enjoyable if you make some chia seed porridge every morning), and I will say my digestion has never been better. Keeping the system clear seems like a sane first line of defense to preventing this kind of thing.

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#96

Scary. I had whole-genome sequencing done and the results came back with dozens of "Increased risk for colo-rectal cancer" results. I'm likely going to die of either a heart attack (already had one, at age 28), or cancer, and it seems genetic. EDIT: Specific genes and alleles below, if anyone is curious https://i.imgur.com/szplWSj.png

Probably nothing to worry about. Unless it is lynch syndrome.

I have two SNP's for Lynch syndrome, is that enough to warrant concern?

https://i.imgur.com/DZiJhGJ.png

https://i.imgur.com/PKF2QDr.png

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#97
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's such a big disparity I'm very suspicious of that data, but there seems to be plenty of evidence that grossly excessive cardiovascular exercise is bad for you in various ways. If people enjoy it and really get a lot out of it then I wouldn't judge them for doing it, but let's not pretend it's healthy, because all the evidence is that it isn't. In terms of cardio being able to run a half decent 5k a couple of ti…

Claiming that distance running is unhealthy is wild. It can lead to injury, and there's such thing as overtraining. But to claim that it's broadly unhealthy is just wrong

Risk of stroke is the most obvious (and fairly concerning) one where there's solid data.

Also there's "distance running" as in running maybe 50k a week, that's probably okay, although as you get older it will increase your risk of stroke. But ultramarathons are a whole different ball game and almost certainly bad for you

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#98
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (thankfully not in that order) without sedation. Had it done in D.C. My doc looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if it could be done without sedation, and reminded me that it would be uncomfortable, but otherwise didn't have any problem with it. I've endured 50k runs, brutal workouts, and traumatizing childhood neglect - I really can't see what the fuss is with…

Yea most of the time it was discomfort but the turns were pretty high up there in pain. But that was only 3 times.

I don't really mind the pain itself, but I could see myself thinking the worst in that situation and imagining the strong pain meant the probe had punctured my colon.

I assume that's not actually a realistic risk, right?

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#99
post #51

So many folks that have it say things like "I was super healthy! Did exercise, young, don't drink, etc." Then you dig deeper and realize the last vegetable meal they ate was a soggy brussel sprout their mom made them when they were 17 years old, and also eat cold cut turkey sandwiches every lunch because they're "healthy", and maybe have a tiny shred of lettuce in the sandwich. For breakfast, they eat pancakes or sug…

Are you serious? Do you really think thats the reason that this is happening -- that people don't just eat their veggies? Fiber is important but, um, that's a pretty hot take. I suspect there are other factors at play.

We really don't know the reasons well. Food... some kind of bacteria or virus... 5 random things stuck together... it's silly to guess.

Re: Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

#100
This almost certainly speaks more to how much we have advanced on other cancers? The chart for total incidence shows it peaked in the 80s at about 70 per 100k and is down to about 40 per the same amount, now.

Such that, yes, we can still get better. But people here are reacting as if there is some damning evidence that just doesn't track with the data. Even with an uptick in younger people getting this, we still don't have a smoking gun on anything that is directly causal to this.

Also, holy crap, if you have rectal bleeding, don't ignore it! That that is listed as an early warning sign that people ignore is terrifying.

Post reply on HN