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Cancer Diagnosis Rate Comparison
Comparison of cancer diagnosis rates between younger and older age groups per 1,000 people.
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New study shows increase in 11 types of cancer among young adults
A new study has found that 11 types of cancer are on the rise in the 20 to 49-year-old age group, with obesity emerging as a significant driver behind the escalating rates among individuals under the age of 50.The 11 cancers were thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, colorectal, pancreatic, endometrial, oral, breast and ovarian cancers.All of the 11 cancers identified, other than oral cancer, are known to be linked to excess weight, the researchers said.While researchers caution that obesity does not fully explain the trend and further evidence is required, scientists believe that being overweight or obese plays a crucial role, potentially due to elevated levels of insulin and inflammation.Concerns have been mounting in recent years over the increasing incidence of cancers, such as bowel and ovarian, in young adults. In England, approximately 31,000 cancers were diagnosed in people aged 20 to 49 in 2023, equating to roughly one in every 1,000 individuals. This contrasts with 244,000 cases diagnosed in the 50 to 79 age group, where the rate was about one in 100. For nine of the 11 cancers, rates are increasing in younger adults but are also rising in older adults, who are much more likely to develop the disease.Bowel and ovarian cancer were the exceptions and were rising only in younger age groups.The researchers found that bowel cancer rates in younger women linked to BMI rose faster (from 0.9 to 1.6 per 100,000 people) than those not linked to BMI (from 6.4 to 9.6 per 100,000 people).Researchers are concerned about unhealthy behaviours contributing to escalating cancer rates among young adults (PA)Similar patterns were recorded for men.Experts at the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR) and Imperial College London conducted the new study. However, the authors noted that the overall number of cases of BMI-linked bowel cancer in younger women remained lower than those not linked to BMI – suggesting other factors must be contributing to the increase.Several suspected contributors – including ultra‑processed foods (UPFs), antibiotic use and air pollution – have been proposed in recent years.However, many of these factors have also shown stable or declining trends in the UK, reinforcing the need to thoroughly look at all reasons, the team said.Professor Montse García‑Closas from the ICR said more research is needed, but “we cannot wait to act”.García‑Closas said data suggested around 15 per cent of bowel cancer in younger people could be...
11 cancers on the rise in young people - BBC
It is rare to ever know why one person develops cancer. But a team of scientists worked through national trends in both cancer and our lifestyles to see if they could find a pattern.They showed that as well as bowel cancer; thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, womb lining (or endometrial), mouth, breast and ovarian cancers were increasing.Bowel and breast cancers are the most common in younger adults, with a combined 11,500 cases a year, while pancreatic and gall bladders are much rarer.Only bowel and ovarian cancers were increasing exclusively in the young, with the other nine increasing in older adults too.The study, by The Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London, also analysed patterns in behaviours already known to increase the risk of cancer.But it showed smoking levels, alcohol consumption, levels of physical exercise, the amount of red and processed meat and the number of diets low in fibre were all either getting better or staying the same. These behaviours all have a role in cancer, but don't explain why cancer has increased. "It is very worrisome to hear the news that cancers are increasing in young people," Prof Montserrat García Closas, from The Institute of Cancer Research, told the BBC."However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of cancer by having a healthy lifestyle - for instance, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight."The researchers also said that while cancers in young people were increasing, it was important to remember they were still dwarfed by cancers in older age groups.One in 1,000 young people (aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s) get a cancer diagnosis each year compared to around one in 100 for older age groups (in their 50s, 60s and 70s), they said.The search for other risk factor continues. Prof Marc Gunter from Imperial College London said there was discussion about ultra-processed foods, forever chemical (or PFAS) and antibiotic use, but said there's "a lot we don't know".Sweetened drinks, inflammation, air pollution, gut bacteria and weedkillers, external have all been suggested. It is also being investigated whether getting better at detecting cancers is leading to more being diagnosed at a younger age. The findings are published in the journal BMJ Oncology, external.
Bowel and ovarian cancer cases rising among younger adults in England
To find out, they analysed cancer incidence trends in England from the National Disease Registry Service for the period 2001 to 2019, comparing patterns by sex in two age groups: 20-49 year olds and those aged 50+ for more than 20 different cancer types.
Bowel and ovarian cancer cases rising among younger adults in England ...
To find out, they analyzed cancer incidence trends in England from the National Disease Registry Service for the period 2001 to 2019, comparing patterns by sex in two age groups: 20-49 year olds ...
