Researchers have announced the causes that could significantly contribute to an increase in cancer cases in people under the age of 50.
Detailed analyzes about the discovery of a possible cancer. PHOTO Archive
Research shows that the number of young people being diagnosed with cancer is higher than ever, with diagnosis rates increasing by a quarter over the past two decades.
About 100 young people a day (35,000 a year) are diagnosed with cancers mostly found in older people, such as bowel, breast and stomach cancers.
Scientists believe that this “worrying” trend could be related to the fact that people are consuming too many ultra-processed foods.
The rise in bowel cancer, for example, may have an association with changes in the gut microbiome that reduce the body's ability to deal with pre-cancerous cells, according to research presented at a cancer conference.
Professor Charles Swanton, chief medical officer at Cancer Research UK, told dailymail.co.uk that the “disease of the century”, as cancer is called, still mainly affects older people, but scientists are concerned about its presence in growth in young people.
“In recent decades, there has been a clear increase in cancer incidence rates in young adults in the UK. We don't have an answer as to why this is happeningCharles Swanton said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
The incidence rate of 'early onset' cases has risen from 132.9 people per 100,000 in 1995 to 164.6 in 2019, Cancer Research UK analysis shows.
Research by Ohio State University found that people under the age of 50 diagnosed with bowel cancer had cells that appeared to be 15 years older than their actual age.
It suggests that “Western diets” affect the balance of bacteria and inflammation in the gut, which can cause “accelerated aging” of the colon.
The Duchess of Wales, also diagnosed with a form of cancer
The phenomenon that is found in Great Britain was widely discussed in the press after the Duchess of Wales – Catherine Middleton (42 years old) announced that she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, following an abdominal surgery.
Other examples include campaigner Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in 2022, aged 40, and Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, who died of breast cancer in 2021, aged just 39 .
Professor Swanton suggested that scientists are “about to prove that some microbial species directly cause cancer,” adding that inflammation of the gut, often linked to obesity, is also a likely factor.
