Overly long television increases our colorectal cancer risk significantly

How television affects the risk of colorectal cancer

Many people spend a large part of their free time sitting in front of the TV. Too little exercise and permanent sitting are not good for your health. Physicians now found that sitting in front of the TV and sitting time in general, contributes to an increase in the risk of colon cancer. This applies even to persons under the age of 50 years.

Research by an international team of scientists at Harvard Medical School and the Washington University School of Medicine has found that the considerable amount of time most people spend sitting in front of their television leads to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The experts published the results of their current study in the English language journal "JNCI Cancer Spectrum".

Usually, the tumors form colon cancer in the colon and only very rarely is the small intestine affected. (Image: Henrie / fotolia.com)

Data from nearly 90,000 women were analyzed for the study

The new study examined data from 89,278 American women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study II at the University of Michigan. This long-term US health study examined women's risk factors for major chronic diseases. Researchers focused particularly on the time women spent watching TV and other sedentary behaviors to investigate a possible link between longer sitting time and diagnosed early colorectal cancer under the age of 50.

Colorectal cancer risk increased by up to 70 percent

The results showed that more than one hour of television per day was associated with a 12 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to participants who spent less time watching television. If the women spent more than two hours a day in front of the TV, the risk was even increased by up to almost 70 percent, explain the scientists. The findings were still valid after taking into account the Body Mass Index (BMI) and women's physical activity, and even women without a family history of colorectal cancer showed an increased risk of sitting too much sitting. The physicians also found that the relationship between sitting time and rectal cancer was greater than in colon cancer.

Younger people are also at risk

Although a sedentary lifestyle after the age of 50 is an emerging risk factor for colorectal cancer, its role in the development of early-stage colon cancer has been largely unknown in younger individuals, say the authors of the study. The current findings are the first to link sedentary behavior patterns to the increased risk of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 years. The study may help identify those at high risk for colorectal cancer, which may benefit more from early screening, said study author Yin Cao from the Washington University School of Medicine. The fact that these results were independent of BMI and physical activity suggests that a sedentary activity can be a completely different risk factor for the onset of colon cancer, the expert adds. In the US and around the world, the rate of developing early colorectal cancer is on the rise. On the other hand, the rate of colorectal cancer in the elderly has decreased dramatically, mainly due to cancer screening initiatives. (As)