New Delhi: Patients as young as 15 are being seen at a Delhi hospital with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, prompting experts to call for closer investigation into environmental exposures, including air pollution, alongside established risk factors such as diet, lifestyle and genetic susceptibility.Experts highlighted the concern at a two-day international conference on colorectal and other GI cancers, being held on Oct 10 and 11 and organised by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in collaboration with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, UK. They discussed emerging evidence linking air pollution to cancer risk, while stressing the need for India-specific research to determine whether pollutants contribute to GI cancers.“In our OPD we are now seeing new GI cancer patients as young as 15, which was uncommon five years ago,” said Dr Shyam Aggarwal, chairperson of medical oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and organising chairperson of the conference.A 2026 review of 70 studies on air pollution and gastrointestinal diseases found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated with higher mortality from GI cancers, with a notable association involving colorectal cancer. A separate study published in Nature Health examined links between long-term exposure to PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, and overall cancer risk. These findings indicate associations, not proof that the pollutants directly cause GI cancers.The Indian picture also calls for closer investigation. An analysis of trends in England and India cited an early-onset colorectal cancer rate of 8.4 per 1 lakh among people under 50 in England in 2023, compared with 3.5 per 1 lakh among Indians aged 25-49. Indian urban cancer registries have shown a steady increase in colorectal cancer, while hospital studies have reported younger patients being diagnosed at advanced stages.Dr Saumitra Rawat, chairperson of surgical gastroenterology and GI and HPB onco-surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said younger GI cancer patients should be assessed for multiple possible contributors, including family history, genetic susceptibility, diet, lifestyle, infections and environmental exposures.Experts called for stronger air-quality monitoring, improved cancer registries and long-term Indian studies examining the link between pollution exposure and clinical outcomes. They also stressed the need for timely medical consultation for persistent digestive symptoms, along with established cancer-prevention measures, appropriate screening and early diagnosis.
