Good economy? More bowel cancers, study finds

By Meera Senthilingam, for CNN

(CNN)Economic development is a good thing -- but not when it comes to the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

According to a recent study, as a country develops, rates of this type of cancer rise alongside it.

The study revealed a 10-fold difference in cases worldwide, based on a country's level of economic development. The "western" lifestyle that comes with a country's growing economy is thought to be behind the increase in rates.

"Colorectal cancer is the clearest marker of societal and economic transition," says Cancer epidemiologist Melina Arnold, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, who led the study.

Also known as bowel cancer, it's the third most common type of cancer in the world. It affected 1.4 million people in 2012 and is predicted to increase by 60%, to more than 2.2 million cases -- and 1.1 million deaths -- by 2030.

 

This form of cancer is a common result of poor lifestyle choices such as a bad diet, low levels of exercise, smoking and drinking excessive alcohol.

"[It] is largely preventable because it's related to lifestyle factors," says Arnold.

Arnold and other experts in the field were already aware of the geographical variation seen in rates of this cancer specifically, but its extent came as a revelation.

"There is a widening disparity," says Arnold.

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