Research explores why cancer is on the rise with young people

Research by the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London finds that eleven cancers are becoming more common in young people in England. These include bowel cancer, thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, endometrial, mouth, breast and ovarian cancers, with bowel and breast cancers the most common in younger adults. Researchers analysed national data on cancer rates and lifestyle trends to understand why cases are increasing among people in their late teens through to their 40s. They looked at patterns in behaviours already known to increase the risk of cancer, such as smoking levels, alcohol consumption, levels of physical exercise, the amount of red and processed meat and the number of diets low in fibre. The only data that aligned with the increase in cancer in young people were related to levels of overweight and obesity, which has been on the rise since the 1990s. Extra fat tissue is thought to alter hormones in the body, such as insulin, which can affect the risk of cancer. However, scientists say excess weight alone does not fully explain the trend. For example, for every 100 extra cases of bowel cancer, it is estimated that 20 may be due to excess weight, while 80 are still unexplained. Professor Marc Gunter from Imperial College London has said there was also a lot of discussion about ultra-processed foods, forever chemical (or PFAS) and antibiotic use having an impact, but also there is “a lot we don’t know”. Researchers stress that despite the rise in cases, cancer remains relatively rare in younger people, affecting around 1 in 1,000 each year, compared with roughly 1 in 100 in older age groups. Read more here.