Massive rise in cancer diagnoses among young people

Massive rise in cancer diagnoses among young people

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The number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with cancer has increased by almost 80 percent worldwide in the past three decades. This is according to a large-scale study published on Wednesday. The number of global cases of cancer in the 14- to 49-year-old age group rose from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019, the study in the journal BMJ Oncology shows.

The number of deaths has also risen sharply

According to the study, the number of deaths as a result of cancer has also risen sharply among the under-50s. More than 1 million people under 50 died from cancer in 2019, about 28 percent more than in 1990. The deadliest cancers were breast, trachea, lung, colon and stomach cancer. The researchers observed the strongest increase in trachea and prostate cancer. Liver cancer cases, on the other hand, went down.

In the study, the authors point out that part of this increase is due to population growth. However, previous research had already shown that cancer was being diagnosed more and more frequently among the under-50s.

Risk factors diet, smoking, alcohol

The international research team named poor diet, smoking and alcohol as the most important risk factors in this age group. But the exact cause of the growth “is still unclear,” they added.

The researchers used data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, which analyzed data from 29 different types of cancer in 204 countries. Corresponding data from Switzerland were also taken into account.

The more developed a country, the higher the cancer rate among those under 50, the study found. This could indicate that richer countries with better health systems catch cancer earlier. But few countries screen for certain types of cancer in those under 50, the researchers said.

Source: Nachrichten

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