The Lancet Oncology study compared the rates of early onset bowel cancer in young adults in 50 countries  for the decade to 2017.

‘More research is needed to understand whether there are genuine differences between the nations, and how to address them,' said Katrina Brown, a senior cancer intelligence manager at Cancer Research UK.

The study found increasing rates of bowel cancer in young adults in 27 out of 50 countries.

Cancer Research UK statistics show that only 1 in 20 bowel cancer cases in the UK happen in people under 50.

The paper suggests that increases in early onset bowel cancer could be linked with rapid changes in lifestyle and diet in developing countries.

The analysis of WHO data shows bowel cancer rates increased in 25 to 49-year-olds while stabilising in older age groups, which could be linked to changes in how and when the condition is diagnosed.