Daughters of men who became fathers after the age of 35 could be at a significantly higher risk of developing bowel cancer in adulthood, a study suggests. Researchers found that women whose fathers were aged 35 or older when they were born had a 56 per cent higher risk of developing the disease by the time they were 40, compared with those whose fathers were aged 20 to 24 at the time of their birth. Officially known as early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), bowel cancer diagnosed before the age of 50 is becoming increasingly common in Britain - alongside a wide range of cancers among younger adults.More than 2,400 people in the UK under the age of 50 are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, with the number of cases among younger adults rising by 25 per cent over the past decade.Cancer researchers have long suspected that changes to modern diets and lifestyles are helping to drive the worrying surge. But scientists behind the new study, published in medical journal CANCER, said their findings now suggest that 'paternal age may influence risk of early onset colorectal cancer'.The team, led by Yale University, analysed more than 1,200 cases of bowel cancer under 40 - rather than the typical 50 when looking at EOCRC - and compared them with more than 61,000 people without the disease. While daughters were found to be at a 56 per cent higher risk, sons of fathers older than 35 were found to be at a just 7 per cent higher risk - though researchers said this was 'not statistically significant'. Daughters of men who became fathers after the age of 35 could be at a significantly higher risk of developing bowel cancer in adulthood, a study suggests