Cancer has long been part of our history. But now researchers believe they are seeing some kind of change in the picture of the disease. Something has happened, and the consequences are great. Because since 1990, the number of adults under the age of 50 who develop cancer has increased dramatically worldwide. This is revealed in a new study, which has been published in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology – We have found that the risk increases with each generation. For example, we see that people born in 1960 have a higher risk of cancer before the age of 50 than people born in 1950, says Shuji Ogino, who is a researcher on the project. Out in search According to the researchers, it is not directly surprising that one sees an increase in the fatal disease. Already in the 40s and 50s you saw hints of this. But why young adults receive such diagnoses increasingly often is not as easy to understand. To try to find this out, the researchers have taken a deep dive into previous professional articles. They have analyzed 14 different types of cancer. Among these we find cancer of the breast, gall bladder, head, neck, liver, kidney and bone marrow. All of these cancers, and more, have increased among people under the age of 50 between 2000 and 2012, data shows. A growing epidemic In addition, the researchers also looked for possible risk factors linked to these forms of cancer. They simply wanted to find out if cancer at a “young” age is some kind of growing, global epidemic. And according to the results they found, the simple answer is YES. In any case, this seems to be the case since the 1990s, the researchers believe. But what has changed? Cancer in Norway 2021 – some figures Number of new cancer cases in 2021: 17,314 women (of which 2,036 aged 20-49) 19,684 men (of which 1,196 aged 20-49) Most frequently occurring forms of cancer, number of new cases 2021 Prostate cancer: 5,188 Breast cancer: 4023 Lung cancer: 3499 Colon cancer: 3204 Skin cancer, non-melanoma: 3097 Deaths as a result of cancer 2020: Total: 10,981 deaths 5065 women 5916 men Most deaths by type of cancer 2020 Lung cancer: 2168 Colon and rectal cancer: 1524 Prostate cancer: 954 Pancreas 771 Breast cancer (women): 591 Source: Cancer register, cancer statistics 2021 Discovering the disease earlier One point the study highlights is that more people are screened now than before. The fact that many countries have developed good routines for thorough investigations helps to detect more cases early. But this does not seem to be the only explanation. Especially since you see that the age of debut is also lower in countries where the routines are not as good. There simply appears to be a real increase in the incidence of several types of cancer, the authors write. And the hints as to why this is so all point in the same direction. Microorganisms and digestion It’s no secret that our lives have changed a lot since the 50s. In particular, the researchers point to lifestyle habits and diet. And it is in this direction that the clues lead: Because what we put into us affects the microorganisms in our digestive system. Here, the researchers mention nutrition, lifestyle, use of antibiotics and inflammatory bowel diseases. The use of antibiotics has increased sharply in many countries during the last decades. Among the 14 types of cancer that were studied, it was found that eight of them are related to the digestive system. – The food we eat “feeds” the microorganisms in our gut. Our diet directly affects this composition, and ultimately these changes can affect disease risk, says Tomotaka Ugai of Harvard Medical School. Other risk factors that the researchers point to include alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, and type 2 diabetes. Largest increase among women in Norway The Cancer Register confirms to news that Norway has also seen an increasing incidence of cancer in the last 20 years between the ages of 20 and 49 years. Especially among women. The development, on the other hand, has been more stable among men in this age group. Here, breast cancer in particular stands out. – The incidence of cancer in Norway has increased every decade. The same development also applies in other countries. About half of the cases are cancers that can be partly influenced by personal choices. That means lifestyle, exposure to UV radiation, breastfeeding, use of medication and vaccine against human papillomavirus, says Paula Berstad. She is a trained nutritionist, and researches cancer prevention with a particular focus on bowel cancer. Berstad says the only form of cancer where dietary factors other than alcohol alone have been established as a risk factor is bowel cancer. There, the risk is related to a “western dietary pattern”. – When it comes to ultra-processed food, there is currently insufficient evidence from population studies to say that the degree of processing has an effect on the development of cancer. According to the Norwegian researcher, good advice for preventing bowel cancer is to have a high intake of fibre-rich food. This means, among other things, plenty of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit and berries. Paula Berstad says that a healthy lifestyle results in a lower cancer risk, but that it is unfortunately not a guarantee of avoiding the disease. Photo: Privat Will follow young children to find answers This study does not have all the answers, the researchers behind it point out – it is a review of existing research. For example, they have not carried out their own measurements. The study also lacks a lot of data from low- and middle-income countries. Nevertheless, they believe that the results suggest that cancer at a young age is becoming increasingly relevant. And that this could potentially lead to a global pandemic. The group of researchers will take a closer look at the topic in the future. This means that they will follow up small children in the future. in this way they hope to gain a better understanding of what can cause cancer among the younger generation. Norwegian figures show that the total incidence of cancer in the age group 20–49 has increased among women over the past 20 years. This is where breast cancer stands out.
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Dramatic increase in cancer among adults under the age of 50, research shows – news Trøndelag
