Latest news with #earlyonsetcancer
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Western diet' blamed for growing risk of GI cancers among young adults
The rates of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are rising among young adults, with a new peer-reviewed study pointing to the American diet and lifestyle as the primary culprits. The rising risk in younger generations may be linked more to environmental factors than genetics, stated the report, which was recently published in the British Journal of Surgery. "Some shared risk factors for early-onset (EO) GI cancer include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking," lead researcher Sara Char, M.D., at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told Fox News Digital. Rare Cancer Diagnoses Surge Dramatically Among Millennials And Gen X The study notes that recent generations are more likely to adopt a "Western-pattern diet" and a "sedentary lifestyle." Colorectal is the most common type of early-onset GI cancer, but pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, biliary, appendiceal and neuroendocrine cancers are also rising in adults under 50, Char noted. Read On The Fox News App Adults born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950, according to a previous study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Paul Oberstein, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that a person's diet does indeed impact the risk of colon cancer. Your Favorite Alcoholic Beverage Could Be Linked To Deadly Form Of Cancer, Study Finds "It is reported from previous studies that when someone has a higher amount of foods typical of a Western diet, they have a higher risk of colon cancer," said Oberstein, who was not involved in the research. A "Western diet" typically includes a higher intake of red and processed meats, processed and added sugars, and highly processed and refined grains, according to the oncologist. Processed deli meats, sugary drinks and processed grain snacks are also commonly associated with this type of diet. While the incidence of colon cancer in this group overall remains low, Oberstein recommends investing in more research to explore which factors are causing the increase. "We need to conduct more research on whether diet, vitamin supplements, alcohol or other things we ingest or use are contributing to this increase," he said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The expert also emphasized the importance of following the recommended colon cancer screening guidelines, which begin at 45 years old for most people, and seeking medical attention if any symptoms appear. Common warning signs include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, unexplained back or abdominal pain, or unintentional weight loss, all of which warrant speaking to a doctor for an "urgent evaluation," according to Char. For more Health articles, visit The researcher added that younger individuals can take preventative measures such as not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol, limiting red meat consumption, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy body article source: 'Western diet' blamed for growing risk of GI cancers among young adults Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
Gastrointestinal Cancers Are Surging Among Younger Americans
Young people appear to be increasingly vulnerable to gastrointestinal cancers, but researchers aren't entirely sure what is driving the surge in disease. In a new study out this week, scientists led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that rates of early-onset GI cancers—those occurring in people younger than 50—are rising more rapidly than other types of cancer. In particular, colorectal cancer cases have significantly increased, while rates of other forms of the disease, like stomach cancer, are creeping up, too. While the paper doesn't come to definitive conclusions as to why these conditions are becoming more common, the researchers point to risk factors like obesity, a poor diet, and sedentary behavior. 'Colorectal cancer is the most common early-onset GI cancer worldwide, accounting for more than half of the cases, but it is not the only GI cancer that is rising in younger adults,' said senior study author Kimmie Ng, director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, in a statement. 'Unfortunately, pancreatic, gastric, and esophageal cancers are also increasing in young people,' she added. 45 Is the New 50 When It Comes to Colorectal Cancer Screening Ng and her colleagues reviewed data collected from 100 studies, as well as past scientific reviews, and cancer-related guidelines. They also analyzed three publicly available cancer statistic databases. Since 2010, the incidence of early-onset GI cancers has been increasing globally, they found, but especially in high-income countries like the U.S. Between 2010 and 2019, the age-adjusted incidence rate in the U.S. increased by 2.16% annually—the greatest increase of any early-onset cancer during that time. In 2022, there were at least 25,000 Americans under 50 who developed GI cancer. The team's findings were published Thursday in JAMA. An earlier, separate review of data—by some of the same authors—over a similar time period concluded that the rate of GI cancer has tripled in young people aged between 15 and 19, and almost doubled in those aged between 20 and 24. 'The rising incidence of early-onset GI cancers is alarming and underscores the need for enhanced prevention strategies and early detection methods,' said Ng. As the rates of these cancers have risen, so have some of their risk factors, including rates of obesity and time spent sitting; ultraprocessed foods are also more common now, especially in Western diets. Still, the researchers estimate that as much as 30% of early-onset GI cancer may be linked to genetic mutations. Other scientists have argued that other issues, like common stomach infections, could also be driving the increase in cancer rates. Scientists May Have Figured Out Why Young People Are Getting Colorectal Cancer More Often Even as the causes remain unclear, what is clear is that more work needs to be done to help catch these cancers early enough, before they become impossible to treat, the researchers said. In 2020, public health experts recommended routine screening for colorectal cancer in people 45 and up, but the researchers noted that a year later, fewer than 20% of people ages 45 to 49 went for a screening. Another outstanding question is whether early-onset GI cancers are different from those caught later in life, and if so, should they be treated differently. 'We need to be thinking not only about the risk factors for these diseases but also how to screen, diagnose, and treat young people with these cancers,' said Ng.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Gastrointestinal cancer is the fastest-growing early-onset cancer in the US, research shows
A new review has identified a dramatic increase in early-onset gastrointestinal cancers among people under 50 in the US. Colorectal cancer was the most common early-onset gastrointestinal cancer in 2022, with over 20,800 diagnoses. The rise in these cancers is largely attributed to modifiable risk factors, including obesity, poor diet, inactive lifestyles, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The prognosis for early-onset gastrointestinal cancers is similar to or worse than later-onset cases, underscoring the need for improved prevention and early detection. The American Cancer Society now recommends regular colorectal cancer screening from the age of 45, a reduction from the previous age of 50. Dramatic rise in gastrointestinal cancers in people under 50
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Aussies in their 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with cancer at unprecedented rates
Australians in their 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with cancer at unprecedented rates, with at least 10 types of the disease on the rise. The worrying phenomenon, known as early onset cancer, is drawing increasing concern from experts who say the trend is steep, widespread, and in many cases, not fully understood. New figures from Cancer Australia, the federal government's cancer agency, reveal staggering increases between 2000 and 2024. Among 30 to 39-year-olds, rates of prostate cancer have climbed by 500 per cent, pancreatic cancer by 200 per cent, liver cancer by 150 per cent, uterine cancer by 138 per cent, and kidney cancer by 85 per cent. While changes in diagnostic techniques may partially account for the growth in some cancers, such as prostate, most of the rise appears to defy such explanation. Professor Dorothy Keefe, the chief executive of Cancer Australia, told the ABC's Dr Norman Swan that approximately 10 types of cancer are now showing significantly elevated rates in young adults. She says that cancer has traditionally been a disease of ageing, with common forms such as bowel, breast, and lung cancer typically becoming more prevalent in older populations. And Australia isn't alone in facing this challenge. Data from cancer registries in the United States show a similarly dramatic rise in early onset cancers. Dr Philip Rosenberg, a recently retired biostatistician from the US National Cancer Institute, has observed clear generational differences when comparing Generation X to the Baby Boomers. He said the most notable increases have occurred in cancers of the colon, rectum, thyroid, pancreas, prostate (in men), and oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (in women). According to Dr Rosenberg, around half of all cancer types now show some generational shift in incidence. Bowel cancer is of particular concern in Australia, where rates among 30 to 39-year-olds have increased by 173 per cent since the year 2000. Even more troubling is the fact that diagnoses in this age group often come at a later stage, when the disease is more advanced and harder to treat. Despite decades of research, the causes of cancer remain complex and elusive. All cancers are caused by changes in genes, but not all of these changes are inherited. In well-known hereditary cases such as the BRCA mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer, or Lynch Syndrome associated with bowel cancer, a clear genetic pathway is evident. However, most young people affected by early onset cancer do not carry these mutations. Instead, many scientists believe that environmental factors — or the 'exposome' — could be playing a role. These are external influences that interact with a person's genes to trigger malignant changes. The key may lie in understanding the environment that today's 30- and 40-year-olds were exposed to as children or even in utero, particularly between the 1960s and 1990s. During those decades, the Western world experienced major societal shifts. Childhood obesity began to rise, diets became more reliant on ultra-processed foods, and antibiotics were more commonly prescribed. Caesarean section rates also increased, potentially disrupting the transfer of microbiomes from mother to child — a factor that could affect immune system development. Microplastics still the great unknown Compounding the concerns is the growing presence of synthetic chemicals and plastics in everyday life. Despite being a new area of research, some scientists have warned that microplastics can have harmful effects on the human body, especially in large concentrations. In 2022, microplastics were detected in human blood for the first time, sparking a flurry of new research. As the name suggests, microplastics are small plastic particles, less than 5mm in diameter, and are reported to be near ubiquitous: they have been found in drinking water, food, and the atmosphere. A University of Newcastle report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature found that the average individual could be ingesting as much as 5 grams, or 1 credit card's worth of microplastics every week. The WHO said in 2019 that the most immediate risk to human health could be from the toxicity of some microplastics, which may be from the production process itself or toxic substances the particles pick up from the environment. 'Further research is needed to obtain a more accurate assessment of exposure to microplastics and their potential human health,' said Dr Maria Neira, director of the WHO's department of public health, environment, and social determinants of health said at the time.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Some early-onset cancers are on the rise. Why?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Some early-onset cancers — those that occur in people under age 50 — are on the rise in the United States. This overall increase is due to a rise in 14 different types of cancers in younger people, according to a new analysis. The largest increases have occurred in breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine cancer diagnoses. While the overall incidence of early-onset cancer is still low, these small increases could add up over time. A rise of a few percent per year is "not a huge change in the number of diagnoses, because cancer is still rare at these ages," Miranda Fidler-Benaoudia, a cancer epidemiologist at Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, told Live Science. "But it's when it's happening over two, three decades that it really leads to a meaningful increase in that period." The reasons behind these increases are complex and manifold, and many are probably specific to each type of cancer, experts say. To tease out trends in early-onset cancer diagnoses and the myriad reasons behind them, National Cancer Institute epidemiologist Meredith Shiels and colleagues compiled data on cancers diagnosed in 15- to 49-year-olds between 2010 and 2019 in the U.S. In a study published May 8 in the journal Cancer Discovery, the team broke down changes in the rates of different cancers in three age groups: 15 to 29, 30 to 39, and 40 to 49. Breast and uterine cancer rates increased in every early-onset age group, while rates of colorectal and certain kidney cancers increased among 30- to 39-year-olds and 40- to 49-year-olds, the team found. More than 80% of the additional cancers that occurred in 2019 compared with 2010 were one of these four types. Other diagnoses that increased in at least one early-onset cohort included melanoma, cervical cancer and stomach cancer, though incidences of these cancers remained low overall. Many factors could contribute to these observed increases. Research suggests that obesity is a risk factor for colorectal, kidney and uterine cancers, all of which are rising in younger people. Globally, the percentage of adults who are overweight or obese has increased significantly since 1990. Although most studies linking cancer and obesity were conducted in older adults, it's possible that higher rates of obesity in younger people could also increase the rates of early-onset cancer, the researchers wrote. One 2024 study suggests that more than half of uterine cancers diagnosed in 2019 might be linked to obesity. Changes in reproductive patterns over the years could also be contributing to the increased incidence of early-onset breast cancers, Fidler-Benaoudia said. Girls are getting their periods earlier, and women are having fewer children, and having them later in life, than they did a few generations ago. Being younger at first menstruation, giving birth fewer times, and giving birth for the first time later in life have all been linked to a higher risk of developing certain types of early-onset breast cancer, the researchers wrote. Other research suggests that using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) might also slightly elevate the risk of early-onset breast cancer, though it may also protect against ovarian and endometrial cancers. Earlier detection of cancers in people with genetic risk factors may also play a role. For instance, those with certain BRCA gene variants have a higher risk of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, while those with Lynch syndrome face an increased risk of myriad cancers, including colon cancer, stomach cancer and brain cancer. I think that we need large studies that follow individuals over the life course, including at younger ages, to be able to identify risk factors for early-onset cancers. Meredith Shiels Newer screening guidelines recommend people with these genes start screening for cancer earlier than those with an average risk of the disease. Even a small increase in the number of early-onset cancers detected via these new recommendations could trigger an uptick in diagnoses. Screening for other, unrelated issues could also help identify certain cancers earlier. For example, changes in imaging procedures for MRIs and CT scans mean that health care professionals are catching more instances of renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, during other tests. This incidental detection has led to an increase in kidney cancer diagnoses in almost all age groups, the researchers wrote. People's prenatal or early-life exposures to certain compounds may also fuel specific early-onset cancers. Researchers reported in April in the journal Nature that childhood exposure to a chemical called colibactin, which is produced by certain E. coli strains in the colon, causes DNA mutations observed more frequently in early-onset colorectal cancers. Showing that an exposure directly causes a certain type of early-onset cancer — or even pinpointing which types of exposures might pose a risk — is no easy feat. "I think that we need large studies that follow individuals over the life course, including at younger ages, to be able to identify risk factors for early-onset cancers," Shiels told Live Science in an email. RELATED STORIES —Gut bacteria linked to colorectal cancer in young people —BRCA only explains a fraction of breast cancers — genes tied to metabolism may also up risk —Black patients may need breast cancer screenings earlier than what many guidelines recommend Even with these sorts of extended studies, though, it can be challenging to pin down the exact causes of early-onset cancer. "The issue with cancer at young ages is, whilst it's increasing, it's still relatively rare [compared] to those older age groups," Fidler-Benaoudia said. "To have enough people develop cancer to then identify risk factors in this prospective way is incredibly challenging, because you need huge, huge numbers." While it's impossible to eliminate your individual risk of getting cancer, there are some things that reduce the overall risk at the population level. For instance, wearing sun protection and getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) can help protect against certain cancers, Fidler-Benaoudia said. Similarly, limiting alcohol and smoking can reduce the odds of a person developing cancer at any point in their life, not just before age 50, Tomotaka Ugai, a cancer epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Live Science.
