Study claims certain blood types have increased risk of common cancer that is rapidly increasing among young people

A 2022 study claims to have found that a certain blood type is linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer or colon cancer, is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with approximately 44,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

Although it’s still more frequently detected in older adults, the disease is seeing a rise in diagnoses among young people.

While many cancers tend to develop over the years and are formally diagnosed in your mid-to-later years, colorectal cancer is increasingly growing in the under-30 age group.

And one study from just a few years ago aimed to evaluate the relationship between the different blood groups and the risk of colorectal cancer.

The study, conducted in Taif, Saudi Arabia, examined 199 cancer patients aged 22 to 96 years with four different blood types: A, B, AB, or O.

There are four main blood types - A, B, AB, and O ( Westend61 / Getty Images)

Described as a 'record-based retrospective study,' it was performed between January 2017 and August 2021 and focused on patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer during the study period.

Colon cancer was the most frequently reported cancer across all blood groups and had the highest frequency among patients with blood group O. However, although more patients with blood type O had colon cancer, this difference wasn't statistically significant, meaning it could simply be down to chance.

The study did find that people with blood types AB and other non-O types (A and B) had a statistically significantly higher risk of colon cancer compared to those with blood type O.

In simpler terms, the study claims to have found that having blood type AB or other non-O blood types may increase the risk of developing colon cancer compared to blood type O.

But, of course, it's really important to note that there have been further studies into the claims since this study, and a newer investigation from 2025 even suggested that the link might not exist at all, as there isn't enough data to 'assess whether such risk exists'.

In recent decades, many studies have tried to identify the links between blood groups and various diseases (Getty Stock Image)

This is because there isn't enough data to definitively link a possible correlation between the two, according to the 2025 study, as they go on to say that 'even if AB0 blood type is a risk factor for many types of cancer, there is no specific association between rectal cancer and blood group type'.

There's also no significant correlation between blood groups and mortality rates in cancer cases.

So, don't panic - further research into the topic is still needed, and your blood type doesn't mean you're about to get colon cancer.

In recent years, numerous in-depth studies have attempted to determine whether certain blood groups influence the likelihood of being diagnosed with a specific condition.

In similar news, it was reported that Type O individuals have a lessened chance of developing a form of heart disease. And types A, B and AB have also been closely associated with a higher risk of developing stomach cancer.

Meanwhile, a 2015 study ruled that the Type O blood group has a lower risk of such a diagnosis. The pattern remains the same in pancreatic cancer diagnoses - with Types A, B, and AB blood types having a possible increased risk.