A 79% increase in new cancer cases among people under the age of 50 worldwide over the past three decades finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

More than one million people under the age of 50 died from cancer in 2019, a 28% increase from 1990.

Based on the observed trends, The researchers estimate that the global number of new cancer cases in people under 50 and related deaths will increase by 31% and 21%, respectively, by 2030, with 40-year-olds most at risk.

Researchers say genetic factors are likely to play a role, however a diet high in red meat and salt and low in fruit and milk, alcohol consumption and tobacco use are the main risk factors.

In addition, physical inactivity, excess weight and high blood sugar contribute.

The research

The research was based on data on 29 cancers in 204 countries and regions. It looked at the incidence of new cases, deaths, health consequences and risk factors for cancer in people aged 14-49 to estimate the annual percentage change between 1990 and 2019.

In 2019, new cancer diagnoses among people under the age of 50 reached 1.82 million, a 79% increase from 1990.

Breast cancer accounted for the largest number of these cases (13.7 per 100,000 world population) and associated deaths (3.5 per 100,000 world population).

But the new cases of cancer tracheal and his patron grew faster between the same years, with estimated annual percentage changes of 2.28% and 2.23%, respectively. In contrast, liver cancer decreased by 2.88% per year.

In addition to breast cancer, the cancers that most endanger the health of younger adults are of the trachea, lungsof intestine and his stomach.

The highest rates of early-onset cancer occurred in North America, Australasia and Western Europe. However, low- and middle-income countries were also affected, with the highest death rates being in Oceania, eastern Europe and central Asia. In low- and middle-income countries cancer had a much greater impact on women than on men, both in terms of deaths and subsequent ill health.

As they note, “Prevention and early detection measures are urgently needed, as well as identification of optimal treatment strategies for early-onset cancers, which should include a holistic approach that addresses the unique supportive care needs of younger patients.”