Latest news with #BMJOncology
STV News
3 days ago
- Health
- STV News
Women with genetic cancer risk being ‘missed' due to testing gaps
Families of some cancer patients are being denied the chance to find out about their cancer risk due to gaps in genetic testing, a new study has suggested. A lack of testing for Lynch syndrome also means some cancer patients are unaware of their risk of developing other cancers, academics said. Lynch syndrome is a rare condition which runs in families which puts people at a higher risk of developing cancers of the bowel, womb and ovaries. It is caused by a mutation in the gene that fixes mistakes in DNA when it is copied, which can lead to uncontrolled cell growth. Patients with bowel or womb cancer should have their tumours assessed for markers of Lynch syndrome, according to guidance for the NHS. If these markers are identified, patients should be referred for genetic testing so the diagnosis can be confirmed and they can get support and advice about cancer risk for themselves and their family. A new study by academics at the University of Edinburgh found not all womb cancer patients are being sent for genetic testing. Researchers examined data on 2,500 womb cancer patients across the UK and Ireland between 2022 and 2023. They found that 91% of tumours were tested for markers of Lynch syndrome, but the test results were not routinely communicated to the wider clinical team. This means that follow-up genetic counselling and blood tests were not always arranged. Of the 181 participants eligible for genetic counselling, just under two-thirds (64%) were referred for appointments, according to the study, which has been published in the journal BMJ Oncology. Researchers said those who were referred faced long waits, resulting in high dropout rates, meaning only 48% of those eligible went on to get the test. Experts from the university said gaps in testing mean some womb cancer patients with Lynch syndrome go undetected. Family members are also left vulnerable to cancer risk, unaware they may have the condition. Dr Neil Ryan, from the University of Edinburgh, who leads the UK audit and research collaborative in obstetrics and gynaecology, said: 'Despite clear guidance and excellent rates of tumour testing, too many women with Lynch syndrome are still being missed because they're not referred for definitive blood testing in a timely way. 'This not only denies them the chance to reduce their future cancer risk but also prevents their relatives from being tested and protected. 'Tumour testing is only cost-effective if it leads to diagnosis — we urgently need to make mainstream testing truly mainstream.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Early-Onset Cancer Is Surging — Here's How To Lower Our Risk
Once considered rare, early-onset cancer is now an alarming reality. More young adults are getting ... More diagnosed with cancer as rates rise among people under age 50. Cancer is typically thought of as a disease of aging. That is changing, unfortunately. Early-onset cancer is surging in people under age 50. Cancer is now a disease young people increasingly need to worry about. And it's not just one or two rare malignancies. A new U.S. government study found that the largest increases are in breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine cancers. Scientists from the National Cancer Institute looked at data that included more than two million cancers diagnosed in people 15 to 49 years old between 2010 and 2019. A 2023 study in BMJ Oncology also reported that global early-onset cancer cases rose by nearly 80% between 1990 and 2019. Some of the rise may be due to better detection. But that doesn't explain most of it. Something — or more accurately, many somethings — are fundamentally changing cancer risk in young people. Here's what's going on and what could be done about it, should we choose to take action. Normally, cells grow, divide and die in a controlled fashion. Cancer cells don't because their DNA has mutated. The result is uncontrollable cell division: the formation of cancerous tumors or blood cells which in some cases spread throughout the body and become deadly. The DNA mutations that cause cancer arise from several sources. Some people inherit faulty DNA repair mechanisms, like BRCA mutations that elevate breast and ovarian cancer risk. But most mutations are acquired — from lifestyle, environmental exposures, or spontaneous errors during cell division. Older people accumulate more mutations over time. Yet the issue is that many children and young adults are increasingly exposed to cancer-causing factors compared to prior generations. This translates to more cancer in young people. Perhaps the most dramatic shift in modern life is the dramatic rise in ultra-processed food consumption. The so-called Standard American Diet (aptly abbreviated SAD) is now the global norm: high in refined sugar, low in fiber and full of chemical additives, emulsifiers, nitrates and preservatives. A 2023 meta-analysis found that just a 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption was linked to a 13% higher overall cancer risk and an 11% higher risk of breast cancer. Other studies have linked ultra-processed food intake to increased rates of colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Some estimate a 30–50% increased risk. Processed meats — like bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats — are classified by the World Health Organization as Group 1 carcinogens, on par with tobacco and asbestos. Yet these products are staples in many American diets, including those of children and teens. Known carcinogens are regularly served in school lunches. Surges in obesity are another major driver. Since 1975, global obesity rates have more than quadrupled. Over 40% of U.S. adults are now classified as obese, with alarming increases in adolescents and young adults. Excess fat – particularly the tissue that surrounds the internal organs – is metabolically active, producing inflammatory molecules, altering hormone levels and impairing insulin signaling. This combination can promote the growth of cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, obesity is linked to at least 13 different cancer types, including colorectal, endometrial, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer. And it's not just weight. Sedentary behavior plays a role. A meta-analysis found that prolonged sitting increases cancer risk independently of exercise, raising the likelihood of colon, endometrial, and breast cancers by up to 29%. Modernity is a soup of synthetic chemicals -- from BPA in plastics to phthalates in cosmetics, PFAS in water-resistant materials and pesticides in food. These substances, which have increased dramatically over the last 50 years, are collectively known as the :exposome.' They can damage DNA, disrupt hormone regulation and trigger chronic inflammation — all triggers for cancer formation. Research has found strong associations between exposure to air pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, indoor toxins like formaldehyde and higher cancer risk — particularly for lung, breast, prostate, and even melanoma. Recent research suggests that microplastic particles found in human blood and tissue may also pose emerging carcinogenic risks, though further study is needed. Despite its social acceptance, alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen — even in moderate amounts. Alcohol damages the cell's DNA, increases estrogen levels, and contributes to oxidative stress. The risk is especially notable for breast cancer in women and colorectal cancer in both sexes. One study ound that moderate to heavy drinking significantly increased the dose-dependent risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society now states plainly: no amount of alcohol is safe when it comes to cancer risk. Addressing the cancer surge in young people requires a multi-layered approach. First, governments could consider warning labels for ultra-processed and red meat products and restrict marketing junk food to children and adolescents. Governments could also subsidize access to healthier foods — especially in schools where today's lunches are filled with ultra-processed food high in refined sugar and processed meats. Early-life prevention should become a cornerstone of cancer control: educating families on nutrition and physical activity, supporting maternal health and early childhood environments and ensuring every child gets metabolic screening. Preventing obesity and insulin resistance could dramatically shift lifetime cancer risk. Environmental regulation could also better address modern chemical exposure. This should include limiting or perhaps even banning endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA and PFAS from food packaging, personal care products and household items. Large-scale investment in exposome research could help us understand how lifelong chemical exposures interact with our genes and affect cancer risk. Stronger FDA oversight and transparent ingredient labeling could empower consumers to make safer choices. Screening and early detection must also evolve. The American Cancer Society has already lowered the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening to 45 because of the increasing incidence in younger adults. Additionally, risk-stratification approaches that include family history, lifestyle factors, and metabolic markers may justify even earlier screening for many. Expanding access to non-invasive diagnostic tools — such as stool DNA tests — and integrating AI-driven risk assessment models could help identify high-risk individuals sooner, enabling earlier interventions. Finally, alcohol and sedentary behavior need to be addressed. Public health campaigns should clearly communicate alcohol as a carcinogen and challenge the normalization of drinking in youth culture. We should promote physical movement, including active transportation options, walkable neighborhoods, and work environments that reduce sitting time. Schools, too, should emphasize daily physical activity not just for fitness but for long-term disease prevention. Ultimately, the rise of early-onset cancer is not inevitable — it's a consequence of choices made over the past 50 years in how we grow and process our food, build our cities, regulate our chemicals and conduct our daily lives. Reversing this trend will require political will, corporate accountability and a cultural shift in how we value long-term health.
BBC News
09-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Why more young adults get cancer?
E shock Luisa Toscano wen she find out say she get breast cancer. "E dey completely unexpected," na so di 38 years old mother of two from Brazil tok. "I bin dey young, healthy, fit and no get any risk factors - dis tin no suppose happun to me. I no fit believe am. Cancer dey very far from my reality." Dem diagnose Luisa say e get stage three cancer for March 2024, wey mean say e don already advance. She do four and half months of chemotherapy, do surgery to remove some part of her breast, and den radiotherapy. Luisa complete her treatment for August, but still need to take medication to prevent cancer from returning. "Chemotherapy dey aggressive, but my body hold am well, dis na sake of say I dey active, dey young and resilient body," na so she tok. Den surgery come "I happy say I no get to remove di whole breast. Di hardest part na wen I loose my hairs. Evertin happen so quick and intensely wen I look inside mirror, fear go catch me, and e affect my pikin dem too." Luisa tori no be di only one, but e dey help highlight di trend as e dey grow for world: more young adults don dey get diagnosed wit cancer, even wen some no get any family history of di disease. Cancer dey more common for older pipo due to biological, environmental and lifestyle factors; for example, ageing dey increase cell divisions, wey dey lead to mutation build-up and higher cancer risk. Oncologists don already link early cancer diagnosis for younger pipo to wetin dem inherit, like BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations for breast cancer. However, more patients, like Luisa, bin no dey show any clear signs say e dey her family. Rising cases One recent study wey BMJ Oncology publish find out say, early stage cancer among adults under 50 across di world increase by 79% between 1990 to 2019, while cancer related deaths from di same group rise by 28%. Di study analyze 29 types of cancer across 204 countries. Also, one report from Lancet Public Health reveal say di rates of 17 types of cancer don steadily rise across generations for US, particularly among Gen X and di millennials (born between 1965 and 1996). Oda cancers like nasopharyngeal, stomach and colorectal cancer don increase among young adults according to di BMJ oncology report. Possible causes Researchers dey try identify di causes, even as di Lancet study dey warn say if di growth continue, e go reverse di many many years of progress wey dem don make for cancer prevention. So far, dietary factors like diets wey dey high in red meat and sodium and low in fruits and milk - along with alcohol consumption and tobacco use, dey among do suspected culprits according to di BMJ Oncology and Lancet reports And obesity dey strongly linked increased cancer risk through inflammation and hormonal deregulation, according to di World Health Organization. Di Lancet report note say 10 of di 17 cancers wey dey increase among young pipo for di US dey obesity related, including kidney, ovarian, liver, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers. However dis factors no explain all di cases. Scientists dey also explore oda potential contributors. Some say na constant exposure to artificial light from devices or street lights dey disrupt di biological clock, increase risks for cancers like breast, colon, ovarian and prostrate. Oda studies dey suggest say shift work, wit prolonged exposure to light for night, fit also lower melatonin levels wey dey promote cancer growth. For June 2023, colorectal surgeon Frank Frizelle for New Zealand call for research into di kain tin wey microplastics dey do for bowel cancer. Im dey suggest say dem dey damage di protective colonic mucus layer, wey dey similar to putting pinholes inside condom. Other researchers don argue say ultra-processed food additives like emulsifiers and colourants, fit drive gut inflammation and DNA damage. Gut disruptions dey linked not only to colorectal cancer but also to breast and blood cancers according to American Association of Cancer Research. Antibiotics use go up by about 45% through out di world since 2000 - especially among young kids - dis fit be anoda culprit as e dey disrupt di gut microbiome. Na so one group of Italian researchers tok for di 2019 report, as dem say e get link to some cancers. Even increasing heights across generations fit get hand for rising cancer rate, na so Malcom Dunlop tok. Im be professor of coloproctology for University of Edinburgh, Scotland and co-author of di BMJ Oncology report. "Humans across di world don dey grow taller… and e get strong connection between height and orishirishi cancers, including colon cancer, for instance," e say. E add say link dey between cancer risks to more cells, and exposure to natural growth hormone and larger colon surface area, wey dey increase opportunities for mutations. E say screening younger population for cancer no dey cost effective due to low absolute risks, despite di relative increase in cancer cases. According to di US National Cancer Institute (NCI), 80% of cancer cases na for pipo wey dey age 55 and above dem dey see am. Call to practitioners However dis scenario wey dey occur, don make major organizations like Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness among general practitioners about di early-age cancers to make sure say dem no overlook symptoms for younger patients. "If pesin wey dey over 60 report say e dey dey am difficult to poopoo, fatigue and bloating, doctors dey take dese symptoms seriously and recommend thorough screening. However for someone wey dey dia 30s wey dey active and fit into dim profile of colorectal cancer, dem fit dismis dem as minor aches," na so Dr. Alexandre Jacome from di Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology tok. E add say later diagnosis fit jeopardize survival chances. But Dr. Jacome note say younger patients dey tolerate aggressive treatments beta most times wen dem catch di cancer early, and dis go improve dia chance of recovery. Dr Dunlop also raise concerns about long term implications of early-oage cancers. "Younger individuals wey dey affected by dis cancer fit carry dis risk enta older age", na so e warn. "Sabi na to tok of di worrying increase for di future, abi na just one particular age group wey dem expose to sometin" Life-Changing Experience After dem don treat Luisa cancer, she say "di biggest lesson na to embrace both di hard and di joyful delays equally. Wen dark emotions come, I let dem flow, wen I feel strong, I cherish di moments, knowing say dem go pass too." Her advise for odas na to "take am one day at a time. Listen to your body - some days, di best you fit do na rest, and dat one dey ok. Cancer get stigma, na shadow, but e no suppose define you. Life get, growth and meaning even for di hardest times."
