A common food poisoning bug may be contributing to the alarming rise of colorectal cancers in under 50s, experts warn following the death of Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek.
Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, is surging in young people, a phenomenon that has baffled medical professionals for years.
Once associated with old age, young people in the UK are now 50 per cent more likely to develop the deadly disease than people of the same age in the early 1990s.
But now scientists say E.coli bacteria may be to blame.
A toxin called colibactin, produced by the bacteria, can cause changes in the DNA of bowel cells which then increases the risk of developing cancer – especially in those already highly vulnerable to the disease.
Researchers who studied people with a genetic condition which causes polyps to form in the colon – called familial adenomatous polyposis – found those harbouring the bacteria were over three times more likely to develop bowel cancer.
While the study focused on people with a genetic predisposition, the researchers stressed that the toxic bacteria can affect anyone.
And because colibactin can leave behind specific patterns of DNA mutations that directly promote cancer development, acquiring a mutation before the age of ten could mean someone is decades ahead of schedule for developing the cancer.
James Van Der Beek sadly passed aware on 11 February after a two year battle with bowel cancer
E.coli bacteria is part of a normal gut microbiome but some strains can produce toxins
Mr Van Der Beek died yesterday at just 48, following a two year battle with bowel cancer.
The star was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer, meaning it already spread to nearby lymph nodes, in 2023 but only shared the news in November 2024.
The family of the father of six said: ‘Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace.’
The Dawson’s Creek actor told Business Insider he started experiencing changes in his bowel movements, a common symptom of bowel cancer, which he initially put down to drinking too much coffee.
But a colonoscopy revealed stage three cancer, which often requires a combination of treatments including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to kill the cells and prevent the cancer from coming back.
Bowel cancer is more common in men than women, but increased screening shave helped lower the number of people who die from the disease as patients are diagnosed earlier, when the cancer is more easily treated,
Van der Beek continued working through his diagnosis, but was forced to pull out of a Dawson’s Creek charity event in September due to two stomach viruses.
His family have asked for ‘peaceful privacy’ as they grieve his death.
Van Der Beek previously spoke out about the costs of medical care. His friends and family have now set up a GoFundMe to ensure his six children can continue education and maintain some stability
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the UK, responsible for around 44,000 new cases and 17,000 deaths each year.
The first signs are often persistent changes in bowel habits – such as diarrhoea and constipation – as well as blood in the stool, abdominal pain, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.
Symptoms of STEC – a specific strain of E.coli – vary from mild to bloody diarrhoea with vomiting, fever and stomach cramps other tell-tale signs of infection.
Most of those sickened with the bug will get better without NHS care within a week, but the bacteria can leave behind DNA mutations that are more than three times more common in those diagnosed with bowel cancer under 40 than those diagnosed after the age of 70.
Colon polyps are small, non-cancerous growths that develop on the lining of the colon. Some have a high risk of developing into cancer.
Experts are still not entirely sure how the exposure originates, but have zeroed in on a combination of factors, including diet, which lead to the accumulation of genetic mutations and changes.
In the study, published in the journal eGastroenterology, scientists found that polyps with the bacteria showed significantly higher levels of inflammation, which creates an environment that fuels cancer growth.
On closer inspection, these polyps were found to be more aggressive than those in patients who hadn’t developed cancer, with more immune cells infiltrating them suggesting the body was attempting to fight the damage.
Van Der Beek was best known for his role as Dawson in Dawson’s Creek
If this hypothesis, which has been explored by a number of different teams, turns out to be correct, it could pave the way for preventive measures such as tests which detect the toxin.
Scientists then could hopefully develop a way to eliminate the toxin from the body at a young age, before it causes changes to the DNA which increase the risk of cancer.
Currently, in the UK, only those aged between 50 and 74 are routinely screened for bowel cancer. This is done using an at home stool test, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT).
It is not always known what causes bowel cancer but experts believe the surge in young people is being driven by genetic changes, lifestyle and environmental factors including obesity, smoking and an increase in inflammatory bowel diseases.
