New Study Shows Rise of Cancer in Younger People

A study published in JAMA shows that the incidence rates of early-onset cancers (which means cancer before age 50) increased substantially over the study period which took place between 2010 and 2019.

What Types of Cancer? Key findings showed that breast cancer had the highest number of incident cases, and gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancers.

But Why? The study says these diagnoses in young people are likely associated with the “increasing incidence of obesity as well as changes in environmental exposures, such as smoke and gasoline, sleep patterns, physical activity, microbiota, and transient exposure to carcinogenic compounds.”

Who Got It? “During the study period, the incidence rates of early-onset cancers increased in female individuals but declined in male individuals. By race and ethnicity, there was an increased incidence of early-onset cancer in American Indian or Alaska Native people, Asian or Pacific Islander people, and Hispanic people. However, the incidence of early-onset cancers remained stable among White people and declined among Black people.”

Source: Patterns in Cancer Incidence Among People Younger Than 50 Years in the US, 2010 to 2019 Benjamin Koh¹; Darren Jun Hao Tan¹; Cheng Han Ng, MBBS²; et al