New cancer cases among people under the age of 50 increased 79.1% worldwide between 1990 and 2019, while the number of deaths increased 27.7%, according to a study published in BMJ Oncology.
The researchers estimate that the global incidence and mortality associated with cancers at this age could increase by 31% and 21%, respectively, by 2030, with the greatest risk for people in their 40s.
The study, coordinated by Zhejiang University in China and involving the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden, is based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 on 29 types of cancer in 204 countries and regions.
Although cancer tends to be more common in older people, data suggests that cases among people under the age of 50 have increased in many parts of the world since the 1990s.
In 2019, new cancer diagnoses among people under 50 years of age amounted to 1.82 million, an increase of 79.1% compared to 1990, with special attention to breast cancer, which was responsible for the largest number of these cases and associated deaths.
However, new cases of tracheal and prostate cancer increased more rapidly during the period, with estimated annual percentage changes of 2.28% and 2.23%, respectively. By contrast, early liver cancer decreased by approximately 2.88% per year.
Globally, 1.06 million people under the age of 50 died of cancer in 2019, an increase of 27.7% compared to 1990. After breast cancer, cancers of the trachea, lung, stomach and intestine caused the higher number of deaths in this age group.
The team examined the incidence, deaths, health consequences (disability-adjusted life years), and risk factors for people aged 14 to 49, estimating the annual percentage change between 1990 and 2019.
The highest rates of early-onset cancers in 2019 were reported in North America, Oceania, and Western Europe.
The poorest countries were also affected, with the highest mortality rates among people under 50 years of age in Oceania, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In the poorest countries, early cancer has had a much greater impact on women than on men, both in terms of deaths and health problems after the disease.
As for causes, the team notes that genetic factors are likely to play a role, but the main risk factors among people under 50 are diets high in red meat and salt and low in fruit and milk, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption, contributing to physical inactivity, overweight and hyperglycemia.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations in their analysis, including the variable quality of data from cancer registries across countries, which may have led to underreporting and underdiagnosis.
A commentary published by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast notes that these results “challenge perceptions about the type of cancer diagnosed in younger age groups.” They also consider that “prevention and early detection measures are urgently needed, as well as the identification of better treatment strategies for early cancers.”
Source: Observadora
