The survival rates of people diagnosed with cancer have never been very high, but researchers have discovered some extremely worrying features that concern adults in their 40s and 60s.
Adults between the ages of 40 and 60 have a higher risk of cancer
Scientists at the American Cancer Society have discovered a worrying trend. Those born in the three-decade window between 1965 and 1996 are now at greater risk of developing 17 different types of cancer, far more than their parents born after World War II.
So it is those between the ages of 40 and 60 who are likely to make up the bulk of the estimated 35 million cancer cases that could be diagnosed worldwide in 2050, suggests the report published by The Telegraph.
The researchers identified nine different types of cancer – including breast, bowel and testicular cancer – for which people in this age group are at increased risk, despite a previous decline in older generations.
Also on the rise in people aged 40 to 60 are melanomas, lung cancer, and prostate cancer, as well as typically rarer cancers such as gallbladder cancer, endometrial (womb) cancer, ovarian cancer, and stomach cancer.
Despite all this, “cancer remains primarily a disease of aging,” says Professor Richard Simcock, Medical Director of Macmillan Cancer Support.
“There is no successful theory as to why this happens, but we know broadly how people could hope to reduce their cancer risk if they are in this age group.”
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself from the cancers most common in this age group.
Avoid gaining weight
It’s no secret that body weight is a big risk factor when it comes to developing cancer, even if you’re not yet 60.
But what exactly links weight and cancer incidence is not yet clear, says Professor Simcock.
“We don’t know whether this increased risk is due to the weight some people have, lack of exercise, or the foods they eat—processed and ultra-processed foods have been discussed a lot—or for other reasons, such as resistance to insulin“, he explains.
However, the advice is that those between the ages of 40 and 60 should try to keep their weight within a healthy range to reduce their chances of developing the disease.
Some research has suggested that this is especially important for women who have already gone through menopause.
A study of more than 100,000 women found that even those who lost a small amount of weight – between 2 and 4.5 kg – significantly reduced their risk of breast cancer.
Another found that overweight postmenopausal women who lost at least 5% of their total body weight reduced their risk of all weight-related cancers, and especially endometrial cancer, which is on the rise in those under 60, despite a previous decline in older age groups.
Exercise is crucial
Similarly, inactivity could be a major factor in cancer incidence, particularly in rarer cancers where an increase in diagnosis is currently unexplained, says Professor Simcock.
“Endometrial cancer is more common in overweight or obese women,” he says, which again may be a result of lifestyle factors rather than weight itself.
Another major study published this year found that three times more cancers may be linked to physical inactivity than previously thought, with nearly 5% of all diagnoses in Australia – where the research was carried out – attributed to lack of exercise .
Of these, almost 2% could have been prevented if those diagnosed had increased their physical activity by just 40 minutes a week a decade earlier.
Again, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why this might be, Prof. Simcock notes. “But while this is investigated and more complex theories are developed, in the meantime the advice is to be aware of how your lifestyle may increase your risk and take steps to be more active.”
Improve your gut health
“In recent years, we’ve come to understand more about how our microbiome – the bacteria that live in and on us – affects our risk of developing cancer and then how we respond to treatment”, says Prof. Simcock.
“We have some really interesting data now to show that your microbiome can influence how someone responds to cancer treatment, particularly immunotherapy for lung cancer and melanoma“, he explains.
“This treatment seems to work incredibly well for some people but not for others, and we now think this could be related to the bacterial content of the gut.”
Although research is ongoing, this suggests that maintaining a healthy gut could be an important factor in cancer resistance.
On the other hand, a separate study published in May of this year found that regular consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to higher mortality rates in those with colorectal cancer.
Try to avoid ultra-processed foods—which contain chemicals that have names you probably won’t recognize—and eat more pre- and probiotic foods like yogurt, bananas, oats, and beans.
Use sunscreen and stay in the shade
Skin cancers are on the rise in those between the ages of 40 and 60, often because of the sun exposure that people in this age group had years or even decades ago.
Non-melanoma skin cancers are common and can usually be treated with relative ease, but melanomas are much more deadly and are increasing in this age group as well.
“It’s not unusual for a sunburn you get now to increase your risk of skin cancer 10 or 15 years later”, says Professor Simcock.
It’s still worth protecting the DNA in your skin from any further damage to reduce the risk of melanoma. Here’s the conventional advice: use a good SPF to avoid tanning and burning, and stay in the shade when there might be a risk of sunburn.
Reduce your alcohol consumption
High alcohol consumption is a major risk factor associated with oral and stomach cancers, which are on the rise in people under 60, as well as breast cancer in women, says Prof Simcock.
“Each additional unit of alcohol a woman regularly drinks per week will increase her risk of breast cancer“, he explains. Meanwhile, “alcohol appears to be linked to the number of cancers we see in the esophagus, mouth and stomach.”
This is a particular concern for men, who drink much more on average than women.
A 2022 study found that men who drank at least five times a week had at least a 46% higher risk of stomach cancer, even when they drank less than five units (about two pints of beer or two glasses of wine) per day.
Men who drank were almost a third more likely to develop stomach cancer than non-drinkers, while no such association was found in women.
Cutting back to one or no drinks on most days could reduce your chances of developing liver cancer by 21% if you currently drink four or more drinks a day.
Avoid passive smoking
We’re all used to hearing that smoking is the biggest thing we can do to increase our chances of developing cancer. However, lung cancer is increasing in people between the ages of 40 and 60, even among those who have never smoked.
One factor may be air pollution. Cases of lung cancer as well as breast cancer have been linked to secondhand smoke inhalation. “It is wise to avoid secondhand smoke,” advises Professor Simcock, “because this can help decreasing the risk of cancer pulmonary”.
