NIH Study Finds Alarming Rise In Breast, Colorectal And Uterine Cancers Among Under-50s In US

New Delhi: A new study by researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed a concerning rise in the incidence of several cancer types among individuals under age 50 in the country between 2010 and 2019.

According to the findings, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, the incidence of 14 out of 33 analysed cancer types increased in at least one younger age group,” Xinhua news agency reported.

Notably, common cancers such as female breast, colorectal, kidney, and uterine cancers saw marked increases, with some of these also rising among older adults.

"This study provides a starting point for understanding which cancers are increasing among individuals under age 50," said lead investigator Meredith Shiels, from NIH's National Cancer Institute.

"The causes of these increases are likely to be cancer-specific, including cancer risk factors becoming more common at younger ages, changes in cancer screening or detection, and updates to clinical diagnosis or coding of cancers," she added.

Using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and national mortality records, researchers examined cancer incidence from 2010 to 2019 and mortality trends through 2022, across six age groups.

Although 14 cancers rose in early-onset age brackets, 19 other cancer types -- such as lung and prostate cancers -- declined, resulting in a stable overall cancer incidence and mortality rate, the study said.

Among the rising cancers in younger populations, female breast cancer showed the largest increase, with approximately 4,800 more cases diagnosed in 2019 than would have been expected based on 2010 rates.

Colorectal, kidney, uterine, and pancreatic cancers also contributed significantly, collectively accounting for more than 80 percent of the additional early-onset cases in 2019, the study shows.

The researchers speculated that risk factors such as increasing obesity may have contributed to some of the increases in early-onset cancer incidence in recent years.

Changes in cancer screening guidelines, advances in imaging technologies, and increased surveillance of high-risk individuals may also have led to earlier cancer diagnoses, potentially contributing to rising rates among younger age groups, the team said.

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