England has recorded a significant increase in cases of seven types of cancer among people under 50. In particular, the incidence of prostate cancer in this age group has risen from 1 to 3.6 cases per 100,000 population since 2001, while rates of bowel, kidney and uterine cancer have more than doubled, The Guardian reports.
Researchers at the World Cancer Research Fund analysed data from England, the United States and the Netherlands. They found a significant rise in early-onset cases of seven cancer types in England, five types in the United States and four types in the Netherlands. Although cancer incidence is increasing across all age groups worldwide, the rate of increase is higher among people under 50.
In England, the incidence of bowel cancer among people under 50 rose from 3.9 cases per 100,000 population in 2001 to 8.4 cases in 2023. Rates of early-onset uterine and kidney cancer increased to 3.9 and 3 cases per 100,000 population respectively.
The incidence of breast cancer among people under 50 also increased, from 42 to 47.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2023. In addition, the frequency of early-onset pancreatic and liver cancer rose.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
In the United States, the incidence of kidney cancer among people under 50 rose from 2.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2000 to 5.3 in 2023. The incidence of bowel, uterine and pancreatic cancer increased by more than 50%, while breast cancer rose by about 20%. The Netherlands recorded a significant increase in early-onset cases of bowel, kidney, liver and cervical cancer.
At the same time, lung cancer rates among people under 50 declined in all three countries, which researchers link to a reduction in smoking prevalence. The World Cancer Research Fund noted that the trend may be influenced by the spread of obesity, unhealthy diets, insufficient physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking and exposure to pollutants. At the same time, greater awareness of symptoms and improved diagnostics may also contribute to detecting the disease at early stages.
King’s College London announced a study involving 250,000 people, funded by Cancer Research UK. It is intended to help determine to what extent the increase in bowel cancer cases among younger adults is linked to changing risk factors and to what extent it is due to better detection of the disease.
