‘Alarming’ rise in cases of cancer in under 50s fuelled by common lifestyle habits, experts warn
CANCER – it’s a word we all dread to hear.
Yet an alarming rise in cases means more and more young people are facing the disease.
A new landmark study recently showed rates of all cancers in under-50s have surged 79 per cent in the last three decades.
The Sun’s columnist and inspirational campaigner Dame Deborah James died last year aged 40 — five-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at 35.
The Wanted’s Tom Parker lost his life to an aggressive brain tumour at the age of 33 last March. Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding was 39 years old when she died of breast cancer in 2021.
While 90 per cent of cancer cases are in the over-50s, according to Cancer Research UK, their deaths serve as a stark reminder that the disease does not discriminate.
Professor James East, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, tells Sun Health early onset cancers have risen at a notable rate in recent years.
He says: “In part, this is down to genetic mutations, an increase in obesity, adoption of Western diets higher in red meat and processed foods, and increased smoking and alcohol use, as well as environmental factors, such as air pollution.”
The new study led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh found cancer cases in people aged 14 to 49 increased from 1.82 million worldwide to 3.26 million between 1990 and 2019.
A similar study from Harvard University found early onset cases were rising rapidly in 14 types of cancer, including digestive cancers, skin, breast, reproductive cancers and blood cancers.
Meanwhile, the Edinburgh study found breast cancer accounted for the largest number of cases (most cases in under-50s) and rose 7.7 per cent between 2010 and 2019.
There are 55,000 cases of breast cancer spotted every year in the UK, around 10,000 of which are in women under 50. One in seven women will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime, and the risk is higher if you have a family history of the disease.
“So it’s important that all women regularly check their breasts and get to know their normal,” says Dr Kotryna Temcinaite, of Breast Cancer Now.
Last month, influencer Nicky Newman died of the disease at the age of just 35, having been diagnosed at 30. She shared her journey of living with cancer, inspiring her followers to “go grab life”.
Meanwhile, Welsh Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden, 33, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in May, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
At the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, campaigners urged women and men of all ages to check themselves.
Patients have a better shot at survival if their tumours are spotted early. Dr Termcinaite says: “While many women know that a lump can be a possible symptom of breast cancer, there are other signs and symptoms to look for.
“These include changes to the skin, such as dimpling or puckering, changes to the nipple or nipple discharge. Although most breast changes won’t be cancer, contact your GP if you notice anything.”
But it’s not just breast cancer. The Edinburgh research showed the sharpest rises in cases under 50 were in windpipe and prostate cancer. They are diagnosed 2,300 and 52,000 times a year in the UK respectively.
Another notable rise was seen in cases of bowel cancer. Dame Debs raised awareness that it can strike at any age. The mum-of-two spearheaded The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign, successfully putting pressure on the Government to lower the age for bowel cancer screening from 60 to 50.
Dr Lisa Wilde, of Bowel Cancer UK, says: “Cases of bowel cancer among the under-50s have risen faster than deaths from the disease. This shows that we can treat bowel cancer and reinforces the importance of early diagnosis when treatment is more likely to be successful.”
While science continues to search for answers, the scientists are clear: Whatever your age, you’re not immune to cancer so it’s vital to see your GP with any worrying changes.