Early-Onset Cancer Surges Among Younger Populations, Global Study Warns

Cases of seven types of cancer have risen sharply among younger people in England, major new research has found, prompting warnings that lifestyle choices are costing thousands of lives each year.

Prostate cancer diagnoses in people under 50 in England have quadrupled since 2001, while early-onset bowel, kidney, and uterine cancer cases more than doubled.

Analysis of cancer data from England, the US, and the Netherlands by the World Cancer Research Fund identified “significant increases” in early-onset cancers for seven cancer types in England, five in the US, and four in the Netherlands.

Although cancer rates are rising across all age groups globally, the increase in early-onset cases is more pronounced than in other age brackets.

Experts attribute the figures to the growing global obesity epidemic, poor diets, insufficient exercise, and increased awareness leading to earlier diagnosis.

Cancer among those under 50 remains uncommon, with a median age at diagnosis above 60, but the trend is alarming, the authors noted.

Mark Lawler, professor of digital health and chair in translational cancer genomics at Queen’s University Belfast, called the issue “a ticking timebomb that we need to diffuse as quickly as possible, otherwise the numbers will undoubtedly continue to grow.”

He added: “The overall trend is particularly worrying as it unfolds against the backdrop of lifestyle factors contributing to thousands of deaths.”

In England, incidence rates of prostate cancer among men under 50 jumped from 1 in 100,000 in 2001 to 3.6 in 100,000 in 2023. Bowel cancer rates among the under 50s leapt from 3.9 to 8.4 per 100,000, while early-onset uterine and kidney cancers doubled to 3.9 and 3 per 100,000 respectively.

Breast cancer rates among the under 50s increased less sharply, from 42 to 47.5 per 100,000 in 2023, alongside rises in early-onset pancreatic and liver cancers.

In the US, kidney cancer incidence among patients under 50 more than doubled from 2.5 to 5.3 per 100,000 between 2000 and 2023, while bowel, uterine, and pancreatic cancers all rose by over 50%, and breast cancer increased by about 20%.

In the Netherlands, researchers found significant increases in early-onset bowel, kidney, liver, and cervical cancers.

Conversely, lung cancer rates among the under 50s declined in all three countries, reflecting ongoing reductions in smoking.

Dr Giota Mitrou, executive director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, called the trajectory “concerning” and added: “Behind every figure is a person facing cancer earlier than they, their family, and often their doctor would expect. While cancer is still more common in older adults, these changing patterns among younger generations must be treated as a serious research and prevention priority.”

WCRF noted that risk factors such as growing obesity, poor diet, insufficient exercise, alcohol, smoking, and environmental exposures could be contributing to the trend, with about 40% of cancers linked to these modifiable risks. However, greater symptom awareness also means people are diagnosed earlier.

“While we don’t completely understand why more cancers are occurring in people under 50, risk factors like overweight, obesity, diet, alcohol, and smoking likely play a role,” said Dr Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu, research translation manager at WCRF.

“At the same time, the public is increasingly aware of cancer risk factors and symptoms, making them more likely to seek healthcare.”

Although more cancers are being diagnosed at an earlier stage, “increased diagnosis does not explain the whole story, and more research is needed to understand early-onset cancers,” she added.

King’s College London has announced a new trial of 250,000 people, funded by Cancer Research UK, to investigate the rise in bowel cancer among younger adults.

The study aims to clarify the balance between worsening risk factors and better detection.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “These findings underline why early diagnosis is at the heart of our national cancer plan. To help catch cancer sooner, we’re investing in new technologies to speed up diagnosis, expanding genetic testing, and supporting research to better understand the causes of cancer and who may be most at risk.”

“We’re also prioritising research into less-survivable and rarer cancers, and our ambition is for three-quarters of people diagnosed by 2035 to be cancer-free or living well with cancer, saving 320,000 lives.”

“Our newly announced national cancer board has a specific representative for children and young people, as we’re aware of the devastating impact of getting cancer at an earlier stage of life.”

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