Diagnoses of certain cancers are rising “noticeably” among people under 50, according to a new analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) covering England, the US and the Netherlands.
In England, an analysis of data from 2001 to 2023 found statistically significant increases in seven of the 12 cancers studied: breast, bowel, kidney, liver, pancreatic, prostate and uterine cancer. Among men under 50, for example, the incidence of prostate cancer rose from about 1 to 3.6 cases per 100,000, nearly fourfold, while bowel cancer more than doubled, from 3.9 to 8.4 cases per 100,000. Uterine cancer reached 3.9 cases per 100,000 and kidney cancer about 3, while breast cancer rose more modestly, from 42 to 47.5 cases per 100,000.
In the US, between 2000 and 2023, significant increases were recorded in breast, bowel, kidney, pancreatic and uterine cancers. Kidney cancer more than doubled, while bowel, uterine and pancreatic cancers increased by more than 50%. In the Netherlands, increases were recorded in bowel, kidney, liver and cervical cancers.
Lung cancer among people under 50 declined in all three countries, a trend linked to declining smoking rates.
The trend is not entirely new. A separate analysis by Cancer Research UK found that in the UK, the overall incidence of cancer among people aged 25–49 rose by 24% between 1995 and 2019, from 132.9 to 164.6 cases per 100,000. The increase was more than twice the 10% recorded among people over 75. Even so, about nine in 10 cancers are still diagnosed in people over 50.
It remains unclear why certain cancers are becoming more common among younger people. Researchers are examining obesity, diet, physical inactivity, alcohol and environmental factors, as well as the microbiome and genetics. Greater awareness, screening and improved diagnosis are also leading to more cases being detected earlier, but scientists say these factors alone do not explain the upward trend.
Source: The Guardian [1], [2]
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