2024-03-27 09:49:05
A study published in the journal BMJ Oncology found that global cancer rates in people under 50 have increased by nearly 80 percent since 1990. The number of cancer cases among 14- to 49-year-olds grew from 1.82 million to 3.26 million in 2019. A worrying trend that raises questions regarding the causes.
According to the study, the number of deaths as a result of cancer has also risen sharply among those under 50. In 2019, more than a million people under 50 died of cancer, around 28 percent more than in 1990. The deadliest cancers were breast, trachea, lung, colon and stomach cancer. The researchers observed the greatest increase in tracheal and prostate cancer. However, cases of liver cancer fell.
Population growth partly responsible for increase in cancer
The authors point out in the study that part of this increase can be attributed to population growth. However, previous studies have shown that cancer is being diagnosed more and more frequently among people under 50 years of age.
The international research team named poor diet, smoking and alcohol as the most important risk factors in this age group. But the exact cause of the growth “is still unclear,” they added.
The researchers used data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, which analyzed data from 29 different types of cancer in 204 countries. Corresponding data from Switzerland was also taken into account.
Higher cancer rates in developed countries
The more developed a country is, the higher the cancer rate among those under 50, the study found. This might suggest that richer countries with better health systems detect cancer earlier. But only a few countries screen people under 50 for certain types of cancer, the researchers said.
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