New cancer epidemic? Why are so many young people getting cancer?
Is there really a cancer epidemic among young people? New research shows that despite rising diagnosis rates among those under fifty, the picture may not be as alarming as it seems. Many of the detected cases may be linked to improved screening methods rather than a real increase in serious cancers.
A wide-ranging U.S. government study analyzed more than two million people aged 15 to 49 who were diagnosed with cancer between 2010 and 2019. Among 33 different types of cancer, 14 types showed an increase in diagnoses among younger age groups. It was also found that nearly two-thirds of these early cases were among women.
Another study published in JAMA Internal Medicine focused on eight types of cancer that are rapidly increasing among those under fifty, including thyroid, kidney, colon, pancreas, and multiple myeloma. Researchers revealed that diagnoses have nearly doubled since the early 1990s, but mortality rates for these cancers have remained largely stable. This strongly suggests that modern detection methods – such as screenings and imaging – are identifying cancers that may never cause serious health problems.
For example, diagnoses of thyroid and kidney cancer have significantly increased without any rise in mortality. Similarly, breast cancer diagnosis rates among women under fifty have increased, but deaths have halved over the past three decades thanks to advancements in treatments.
But not all cancers are moving in the same direction. There has been a slight but steady increase in deaths from colon and cervical cancer, likely linked to factors such as obesity and lower rates of hysterectomy. However, experts believe that the rise in most types of cancer reflects overdiagnosis more than it does a true epidemic. The study also warns against portraying these figures as a "cancer epidemic," as this could lead to unnecessary treatments and ongoing anxiety for otherwise healthy young people.