A study published on Wednesday found that the number of people under the age of 50 who have been diagnosed with cancer has increased globally over the previous three decades, although it is unclear why.
Cancer cases among adults aged 14 to 49 increased by nearly 80% between 1990 and 2019, from 1.82 million to 3.26 million, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Oncology.
Experts identified poor diet, smoking, and drinking as key risk factors for cancer in this age range
While doctors noted that some of the increase could be attributed to population expansion, past study has shown that cancer is becoming more common among people under the age of 50.
The new study’s multinational team of experts identified poor diet, smoking, and drinking as key risk factors for cancer in this age range.
But “the increasing trend of early-onset cancer burden is still unclear,” they added.
Key findings from the study
According to the survey, a little more than one million persons under the age of 50 died from cancer in 2019, a 28 percent increase from 1990.
According to the study, the most lethal cancers were breast, windpipe, lung, colon, and stomach cancers.
Over the three decades, breast cancer was the most usually diagnosed.
The tumors that spread the fastest, however, were those of the nasopharynx (where the back of the nose meets the top of the throat) and the prostate.
Meanwhile, the incidence of liver cancer has decreased by 2.9 percent every year.
The researchers examined the rates of 29 different malignancies in 204 nations using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study.
According to the study, the more developed the country, the higher the rate of under-50s diagnosed with cancer.
Factors contributing to rising cancer cases among the Under-50 population
This could imply that wealthier countries with superior healthcare systems detect cancer earlier, but only a few countries check for particular malignancies in persons under the age of 50, according to the study.
According to the study, genetic factors, physical inactivity, and obesity, in addition to bad diet, smoking, and drinking, could all contribute to the trend.
According to modeling, the number of global cancer cases in people under the age of 50 will increase by 31% by 2030, with the majority of cases occurring in people aged 40-49.
Cancer data from different countries differed substantially, with developing countries potentially underreporting cases and fatalities.
According to experts who were not part of the study, the slower increase in deaths relative to cases was most likely due to advancements in early detection and treatment.
Experts noted that population increase is also a factor
Dorothy Bennett, a University of London researcher, noted that the world’s population increased by around 46 percent between 1990 and 2019, accounting for some of the rising instances. Ashleigh Hamilton and Helen Coleman, both doctors from Queen’s University Belfast, said it was “critical” to figure out what was causing the increase in instances.
“Full understanding of the reasons driving the observed trends remains elusive, although lifestyle factors are likely contributing, and novel areas of research such as antibiotic usage, the gut microbiome, outdoor air pollution, and early life exposures are being explored,” they said in an editorial linked to the study.