Shock as doctors discover staggering rise in type of cancer that can leave patients unable to control their bowels
Leading doctors are calling on the public to be aware of the symptoms of anal cancer, as new data reveals a sharp rise in cases among women—particularly in over 65s.
Red flags include blood in bowel movements, pain, itching, small lumps around the anus and persistent, uncontrollable diarrhoea.
These issues can also be caused by other, more common conditions like haemorrhoids or anal fissures—but persistent or unusual symptoms should always be checked by a medical professional, add experts.
The warning comes after researchers analysed data from the US National Cancer Institute between 2017 and 2021, and found something surprising.
Overall, cases increased by three per cent in women and 1.6 per cent in men over the study period.
But white women aged 65 and over saw the most dramatic rise, with an annual increase of four per cent.
If these trends continue, scientists warn that anal cancer cases among women over 65 could double in less than 17 years.
The findings challenge long-held assumptions about who is most at risk, experts tracking the phenomenon say.
Leading doctors have warned anal cancer is on the rise—as cases in women are on their way to doubling, a study has found
Screening guidelines have typically focused on people with HIV, men who have sex with men, organ transplant recipients and women with a history of vulvar cancer.
‘Rates of anal cancer are rising fastest among white and Hispanic women over 65—groups not traditionally considered high risk,’ said lead author Dr Ashley Robinson, a second-year internal medicine resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.
Human papillomavirus, known as HPV, causes 90 per cent of anal cancers. In the UK, approximately 1,600 people are diagnosed each year.
While still considered rare, it makes up approximately one per cent of all gastrointestinal cancers.
Although the reason for the increase is still unclear, the experts suggested it is likely because the HPV vaccination was not recommended to older women when they were younger, despite being widely available now and offered in schools.
In the UK, the HPV jab was offered to all girls aged 12 to 13 in school year eight since September 2008, while eligibility was only expanded to boys in year eight from September 2019.
The jab significantly reduces your chances of catching HPV, which is spread through skin to skin contact, usually during sex.
It comes as the number of under-50s with bowel cancer in England is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, a major study warns
The virus is normally harmless, but for reasons not fully understand can also trigger cancers, which alongside anal cancer also including those in the throat, penis, vagina and cervix.
‘It’s crucial that we promote HPV vaccination as a key tool for preventing anal cancer, while also keeping health care providers informed as screening guidelines evolve,’ Dr Robinson said.
‘These findings highlight specific patient groups who may benefit from targeted screening for anal HPV and anal cancer.’
Currently, older women are not screened for anal cancer and the findings of the study concluded that this could be beneficial.
It comes as the number of under-50s with bowel cancer in England is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, a major study warns.
While cases of early onset bowel cancer, defined as those aged 25 to 49, is increasing globally, England’s rate of the disease is growing by an average of 3.6 per cent each year – one of the fastest rises.
Experts believe poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise could be responsible for the alarming trend.
The study found bowel cancer rates in young people rose in 27 out of the 50 countries studied in the decade to 2017.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society, who led the study, said the rise in early onset cancers is no longer limited to high-income Western countries but is now a ‘global phenomenon’.
