📰 Scientists Find First Clue Why 11 Cancers Are Rising in Young People
Why cancer rates have been increasing among people in their late teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s has puzzled scientists for years. Now, a study by the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London has provided the first significant clue.
The research reveals that a decades-long pattern of people becoming more overweight is likely to play some role in the trend, though it is far from the full story. Scientists stressed that cancer in young people remains rare and that everyone can reduce their risk by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
A team of scientists worked through national trends in both cancer rates and lifestyle patterns to identify correlations. They found that, in addition to bowel cancer, thyroid cancer, multiple myeloma, liver cancer, kidney cancer, gallbladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, mouth cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer were all increasing among younger populations.
The study also analyzed patterns in behaviours already known to increase cancer risk. However, it showed that smoking levels, alcohol consumption, physical exercise, red and processed meat intake, and low-fibre diets were all either improving or remaining stable. These behaviours all play a role in cancer development but cannot explain why overall cancer rates have risen.
The report found that the only data aligning with the increase in cancer was levels of overweight and obesity, which has been rising since the 1990s. Extra fat tissue is thought to alter hormones in the body, such as insulin, which can affect cancer risk.
However, this remains an imperfect explanation. For bowel cancer specifically, researchers estimate that for every 100 extra cases, approximately 20 may be attributable to excess weight, while 80 remain unexplained.
Bradley Coombes from Portsmouth died from bowel cancer at just 23 years old. His mother, Caroline Mousdale, said that despite her son displaying many “red flag” symptoms, he was often dismissed as being too young to have the disease. “He was a really fit and healthy young man,” she said, “about to sign a semi-professional football deal and loving life.”
It took 18 months of symptoms for Bradley to be diagnosed. By the time he underwent a colonoscopy, the tumour was so large it blocked the camera from entering. Surgery and chemotherapy could not stop the cancer’s progression.
Researchers emphasize the importance of preventing all cancers, not just the “extra” cases attributable to weight gain. It is estimated that nearly 40% of cancers worldwide can be prevented through lifestyle choices such as not smoking.
Source: BBC News