 Here’s what you need to know to get the day started: | | | Colorectal cancer is getting more common in younger people. What should Canada do about it? | | |  | London, Ont., mother of three Alexis Juliao had Stage I colon cancer, despite only being in her mid-30s. New data from the U.S. suggests more and more younger adults could be facing colorectal cancer in the years ahead. (Turgut Yeter/CBC) | | | New statistics show colorectal cancer is on the rise among younger adults.
New data from the American Cancer Society paints a stark picture: The incidence of colorectal cancer went up two per cent each year in people under 50 between 2011 and 2019, even though U.S. incidence rates have either dropped or stabilized for older adults who are eligible for screening programs.
The trend toward younger people has been observed for years in multiple countries, including Canada. Doctors are worried that younger patients may be slipping through the cracks of a medical system that screens older adults — and asking whether that needs to change.
"One of the challenges for young people is that, when presenting with symptoms, [they] are often told that they have hemorrhoids or some benign condition that's causing bleeding," said Vancouver-based colorectal surgical oncologist Dr. Carl Brown. "But we feel strongly that all those patients, all of those people, should have [an] endoscopic evaluation to rule out cancer."
The typical age for patients, according to oncologist Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, used to be around 65 years old and predominantly male. But in just the last few months, she recalled seeing three patients under 45 who progressed into advanced disease. "We are all bewildered as to why younger patients are being diagnosed with [colorectal cancer], and some with advanced and more aggressive disease," said Brezden-Masley, the medical director of the cancer program at Sinai Health System in Toronto, in an email exchange with CBC News.
Some scientists believe the rise in cases among younger adults may be linked to more consumption of processed meats and sugars and more liberal use of antibiotics in recent decades. Other researchers speculate that an increasingly sedentary lifestyle could be playing a role, or people eating less fruits and vegetables. Diet, alcohol use, and possibly other unknown, external factors may all be contributing, Brezden-Masley suggested.
"But this is still a mystery," she added, "and shifting perhaps to earlier screening may be needed." | | | | | Politics comes at you fast | | |  | (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) | | | | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Wednesday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tried multiple times Wednesday to get the prime minister to respond to allegations that he and his national security adviser were warned that Chinese government officials were funnelling money to Canadian political candidates. Trudeau deflected specific queries while calling suggestions that he isn't loyal to Canada "despicable." Read more here. | | | | | | | | | In brief | | | CBC News has two in-depth investigations to dig into this morning. In the first, CBC News has learned exclusive details behind an alleged title fraud in January that led to three arrests. Read how the Scarborough, Ont., home was sold and the funds transferred into the alleged fraudster's account, before a lawyer involved became suspicious and took action. In the second, CBC Investigates asks who's behind Canada's new pulp-and-paper powerhouse. And where's the money coming from? Paper Excellence bills itself as a proud player rejuvenating a troubled industry in an environmentally responsible way, but leaked emails and insider accounts reveal a company which may not be what it seems. Read all of CBC's top stories here.
The heads of Canada's biggest grocery chains pushed back at allegations they are profiteering from high inflation on Wednesday, telling lawmakers that they aren't the cause of high food prices — and claiming their profit margins are as razor thin as ever. "We are not profiting from inflation, it doesn't matter how many times you say it ... It is simply not true," said Michael Medline, the CEO of Empire Foods. Medline was speaking to the standing committee on agriculture and agri-food, which is probing the causes of food inflation, which has skyrocketed to its highest level in decades. Medline was summoned to speak, along with his compatriots at rival Loblaws, led by Galen Weston, and Eric La Flèche, president and CEO of Metro. Weston had several testy exchanges with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who has been drawing attention to the profits in Canada's grocery sector for months. "How much profit is too much profit?" Singh asked Weston, repeatedly. "Reasonable profitability is an important part of operating a successful business," Weston replied. He added that the company reinvests those profits into opening new stores and hiring more employees. "It doesn't go to me. It goes back into this country," he said. Read more here.
Tim Hortons says it's expressing "regret" to customers who were falsely told they'd won $10,000 in its Roll Up To Win contest. Luc Massé of Shediac, N.B., was one of the people who had an apparent $10,000 win taken away — but not before he'd taken a screenshot. "Mistake or not, it plainly says I won, and I was hoping they were going to at least honour it, but so far — nothing." Tim Hortons said the win (which does say "to be verified") was a mistake that went to multiple people, though it didn't specify how many people received it. "We're already in contact with some of the impacted guests to express our regret for the disappointment caused by this error," a spokesperson said. The company did not say if the customers would be offered anything beyond regrets. Read more here.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell tripped and fell Wednesday at a hotel and was hospitalized, a spokesperson for the senator said. McConnell, 81, was attending a private dinner at a local hotel when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesperson Doug Andres said. In 2019, the Senate Minority Leader from Kentucky, who is a survivor of childhood polio, tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, suffering a shoulder fracture. At the time, he underwent surgery to repair the fracture in his shoulder. The Senate, where the average age is 65, has been without several members recently due to illness. The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, said she was hospitalized last week to be treated for shingles. Sen. John Fetterman, 53, who suffered a stroke during his campaign last year, was expected to remain out for some weeks as he received care for clinical depression. Read more here.
Now for some good news to start your Thursday: A historic new chapter for wheelchair rugby is set to unfold this week at the Women's Cup in Paris, where Canada will field a team at an international tournament for the first time. The 10-woman roster is making its debut at the third edition of the Women's Cup, running today through Saturday at the Centre Sportif Émile Anthoine in central Paris. The tournament, held every two years, is the lone international event for women on the wheelchair rugby calendar. For Canadian women's head coach Kendra Todd, the 2023 Women's Cup marks a major opportunity to grow the women's game back home. "I think it'll be monumental," Todd told CBC Sports. "I think there are a lot of women who could potentially play the sport of wheelchair rugby, but perhaps don't necessarily see themselves represented as often and perhaps view it as more of a male sport, and that there are less opportunities for participation." Read more here. | | | | |  | | | Slumdog Millionaire neighbourhood faces overhaul by billionaire | | | Dharavi, home to a million people and India’s largest slum, was made (in)famous in the film Slumdog Millionaire. But with a new billion dollar redevelopment plan in the works, some residents fear these changes will lead to their displacement.
Listen to today's episode | | | Today in history: March 9 | | | 1907: A Hamilton, Ont., news dealer is fined $30 for selling American newspapers on a Sunday.
1929: Alberta premier J. E. Brownlee refuses to introduce a law for an eight-hour day, saying it was unfair to farmers.
1945: U.S. Air Force Superfortress bombers, 279 in number, drop tonnes of incendiary bombs on Tokyo. The bombing caused a massive fire storm which destroyed thousands of homes and killed about 120,000 people, making it the most deadly raid of the war, including the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1977: Canada and the U.S. announce a ban on saccharin as a food and drug sweetener, after tests showed it caused cancer in laboratory rats. | | | (With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters) | | | | |  | CBC NEWS APP | The most convenient way to get your news
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