The number of tumors in people under the age of 50 has increased by almost 80% in three decades. In 2019, new diagnoses among this age group amounted to 3.26 million, with breast cancer leading the way. The 14th edition of the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report, produced by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) highlights the state of cancer in children, adolescent and young adult (AYA), according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an estimated 84.000 AYA individuals will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2024, being this a 4,2% of all cancer diagnoses.
The report also shares that is estimated that 40% of all cancer cases in the United States are attributable to preventable causes, being many of these risk factors modifiable, such as reducing tobacco use, having a healthy diet, staying physically active, limiting exposure to UV radiation, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and preventing and treating cancer-causing pathogenic infections. According to the report, between 1991 and 2021 the overall cancer mortality has declined by 33%, which is partly thanks to the implementation of public health campaigns and initiatives that have helped reduce smoking and increase early detection of cancers, for example with the promotion of cancer screening measures.
In addition, another study addressing this issue, published in September 2023 in the journal BMJ Oncology, states that morbidity from early-onset cancer continues to increase worldwide, with notable variations in mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) between areas, countries, sexes and cancer types. “Promoting a healthy lifestyle could reduce the burden of disease in young people”.
According to María Blasco, scientific director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), one of the reasons of the rise of cancer in AYAs is that now, “there is now a lot more screening and examination of the most common tumors and we try to find them early”. Another theory shared by Blasco, could be related to the lifestyle habits of the younger population, as stated: “We know that red meat increases the risk of stomach cancer and foods that contain pesticides can also promote the onset of the disease. Alcohol consumption is one of the factors that have been identified, and environmental pollution has been found to influence lung cancer and these diseases.”
Data from: Muñoz, A. (2024, 6 octubre). El cáncer está devorando a los jóvenes en España y no sabemos la razón: ¿qué medidas hay que tomar? alimente.elconfidencial.com.