Name: 科學家調查為何越來越多年輕人罹患大腸癌｜BBC News (Scientists investigate why more young people are getting bowel cancer | BBC News)
Uploaded: 2026-01-07T17:19:39.000Z
Duration: 3 min 38 s

Here, scientists are hoping that tens of thousands of bowel cancer samples, some of which date back to the 1960s, will help them work out why there's been a rise in the number of young people diagnosed with the disease.

在這裡，科學家們希望能透過數萬份大腸癌的樣本，其中有些甚至可以追溯到1960年代，來找出為何越來越多年輕人罹患此疾病的原因。

Scientists are planning to test thousands of samples that have been stored in a hospital basement for more than 60 years.

科學家們計畫檢測數千份在醫院地下室儲存超過60年的樣本。

Let's speak to Professor Sarah Berry, professor of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London.

我們來聽聽倫敦國王學院的營養科學教授 Sarah Berry 的說法。

Let's first of all look at the issue here.

首先，我們來看看這裡的問題。

Are we seeing an increase in the number of younger people impacted here?

我們看到越來越多年輕人受到影響嗎？

Yeah, so we're seeing quite an alarming increase in the number of individuals below 50 years of age who are being diagnosed with colon cancer.

是的，我們看到50歲以下的個人罹患結腸癌的比例有令人擔憂的增長。

We call this early onset colorectal cancer.

我們稱之為早發性大腸直腸癌。

And we see about a twofold increase in those born in the 1990s versus those born in in the 1950s.

在1990年代出生的人，相較於在1950年代出生的人，大約有兩倍的增長。

And annually the prevalences are increasing by about 4%.

Now, I do think it's important just to put this into context of absolute numbers so that we don't scare people too much.

現在，我認為將這件事放入絕對數字的脈絡中來看很重要，這樣才不會過度嚇到大家。

Per 100,000 people, that does mean about 12 cases per 100,000.

But it is worrying the rate at which it is increasing.

但令人擔心的是它增加的速度。

And do we have any idea what possible theories or reasons behind this?

我們有任何關於這背後可能的原因或理論嗎？

Yeah, so there's some reasonably well known risk factors for colon cancer, and particularly early onset colorectal cancer.

是的，結腸癌，特別是早發性大腸直腸癌，有一些相當知名的風險因素。

So, for example, air pollutants, microplastics.

所以，舉例來說，空氣汙染物、微塑膠。

There's established risk factors related to our diet, such as processed red meat, sugar, sweetened beverages, a diet low in fiber, a diet high in sugar.

有與我們飲食相關的既有風險因素，像是加工紅肉、糖、含糖飲料、低纖維飲食、高糖飲食。

We also know alcohol increases our risk and we know that living with obesity significantly increases our risk.

我們也知道酒精會增加風險，而且肥胖會顯著增加我們的風險。

But where it gets really interesting is that we're starting to understand that many of these risk factors may be acting through our gut microbes, microbiome.

但真正有趣的是，我們開始瞭解到許多這些風險因素可能透過我們的腸道微生物、菌群在作用。

And this is something we're also working on at King's College London, in collaboration with Zoe, from our large Predict studies, doing very similar research to this fascinating research that the Boomer study is doing as well.

這也是我們在倫敦國王學院與 Zoe 合作，從我們大型的 Predict 研究中，正在進行的研究，與 Boomer 研究進行的迷人研究非常相似。

Because it's easier to get tested as an older person, presumably, than a younger person.

因為對長者來說，做篩檢應該比年輕人容易吧？

Yeah, so this is where we differ in the UK to countries like the us, where it's very common to be tested for colon cancer.

是的，這就是我們英國與美國等國家不同的地方，在美國，篩檢結腸癌是很普遍的。

There's different ways that you can be tested.

You can be tested in a more invasive way, where they actually kind of put almost like a probe up your bottom to have a look at the cells there, or you can be tested to look whether there's the presence of blood in your poo.

你可以用比較侵入性的方式進行檢查，他們會有點像把探針伸進你的肛門來檢查那裡的細胞，或者可以檢查你的糞便中是否有血液。

Now, this is done over a certain age in the UK, but

在英國，這項檢查是在特定年齡以上進行的，但

And this is where it's very difficult because with colon cancer in particular, it presents at quite late stages in the disease.

這就是問題所在，因為特別是結腸癌，它在疾病的晚期才出現症狀。

So the time at which you might notice changes like blood stool, like abdominal pain, like differences in your bowel habits, quite often that's quite late in the disease.

所以當你注意到像糞便帶血、腹痛、排便習慣改變等變化時，通常已經是疾病的晚期了。

The good news is that if it is caught early, it is very treatable in those under 50.

好消息是，如果及早發現，50歲以下的患者是可以非常有效地治療的。

And I think something else that we need to also take away is quite a positive thing with this is that many cases of colorectal cancer can be preventable through diet and lifestyle choices.

我認為我們還需要記住的另一件很棒的事情是，許多大腸直腸癌的病例可以透過飲食和生活方式的選擇來預防。

We know that about 60 to 70% of colorectal cases are accountable due to diet and lifestyle, the kind of factors that I just mentioned, mentioned.

我們知道大約有60%到70%的大腸直腸癌病例是由飲食和生活方式造成的，就像我剛才提到的那些因素。

Sarah Barry, thank you very much for coming on the program.

Sarah Barry，非常感謝你來到節目。