11 cancers young people
A new study from the Institute of Cancer Research indicates that obesity significantly contributes to rising cancer rates among young adults aged 20 to 49 in England. This challenges the prevailing belief that smoking and diet are the primary risk factors.
Key findings:
- 11 types of cancer are on the rise in individuals aged 20 to 49 in England.
- Approximately 31,000 cancers were diagnosed in this age group in 2023.
- The cancers linked to obesity include thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, and breast cancers.
- Bowel cancer rates in younger women linked to BMI rose from 0.9 to 1.6 per 100,000 people.
The research highlights a concerning trend: for nine out of the eleven cancers identified, rates are increasing among both younger and older adults. This suggests a broader public health issue rather than isolated cases. Notably, smoking rates among younger adults have decreased by around 2 percent per year over the past two decades, indicating that traditional risk factors alone cannot explain these rising cancer incidences.
Professor Montserrat García‑Closas emphasized that changes in known behavioral risk factors do not account for these trends. The study used national cancer registry data spanning from 2001 to 2019, providing a comprehensive view of evolving cancer patterns.
In particular, about 20 percent of the increase in bowel cancer cases among younger women can be attributed to rising BMI levels. This statistic reinforces the urgent need for public health interventions aimed at addressing obesity across all age groups. Professor Kristian Helin stated that tackling obesity should become a national priority to prevent further increases in cancer cases.
Despite these alarming statistics, experts caution that cancer remains relatively rare among young people. Professor Amy Berrington noted that while rates are increasing, the absolute numbers are still low compared to other age groups. However, the exact causes behind this rise remain unclear and require further investigation.