Chadwick Boseman

Proteins in food including milk, peanuts and eggs have long been known to cause allergic reactions. And even in people who aren't allergic, these proteins are often recognised  by the immune system as foreign substances. But tests on mice, by researchers in Japan, now show that a diet that includes these substances could reduce the risk of tumours growing in the small intestine. The scientists, who today labelled the findings 'important', also warned people against deliberately restricting themselves of such foods to combat bloating or weight loss, if they don't suffer with allergies.

The jab, being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, aims to bolster the immune system to hunt and destroy abnormal cells that will one day develop into cancer. It is aimed specifically at patients with bowel cancer caused by a genetic mutation known as Lynch syndrome - which increases the risk of the disease by 80 per cent. Some 1,100 bowel cancer cases in England each year are caused by Lynch syndrome, mostly in people aged under 50. Those with the genetic trait are far more likely to be diagnosed at a much younger age than average. The move comes just months after experts continued to express their ongoing concern over an 'epidemic' of bowel cancers, of which colon cancers are a sub-type, among young people. One of the recognised victims of the trend is Deborah James (inset) - known as 'bowel babe' - who was diagnosed at just 35 and raised millions for charity in her final days in 2022. James spoke of her rigorous exercise routine, and being in the best shape of her life when she developed the illness. Another example of seemingly fit and health women being hit by the disease was Zu Rafalat (right), of Finsbury Park, London , who died in 2020 aged 39.

A Swedish study shows rates of skin cancer are on the decline among young people, bucking a trend of rising cases of some types of the disease, and a pattern that is also being replicated in the UK.