One of the main risk factors for developing various types of cancer is age. This happens due to genetic changes that occur over the years, in addition to external factors that are harmful in the long term, such as smoking, sun exposure and pollutants. Although, cancer cases in young people under 50 years old, are increasing more and more .
According to a survey published last year in the scientific journal BMJ Oncologyglobal cases of Cancer in people under 50 years old increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019 . Furthermore, cancer deaths in the same age group also grew by more than 27% with more than 1 million young people dying from the disease.
According to the study, the main causes of the highest number of deaths are breast, tracheal, lung, intestinal and stomach cancer.
The survey was carried out by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, in the United Kingdom, who analyzed the impact of 29 types of cancer on people between 14 and 49 years old , in more than 200 countries and regions. The analysis concluded that cancer cases worldwide increased from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019.
O breast cancer was the main responsible for the largest number of cases , totaling 13.7 cases for every 100 thousand people. The most rapid increase was observed in tracheal and prostate cancers, growing 2.38% and 2.23% per year respectively.
The regions with the highest rates of cancer in young people were observed in North America, Western Europe and Australasia (a region that encompasses Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and some smaller islands in the eastern part of Indonesia).
The number of cancers in young people will continue to rise
In addition to data on the number of cases, the survey also noted a growing trend of cancer in young people. Researchers estimate that the global number of new cases of early-onset cancer and associated deaths will increase by another 31% and 21% respectively, in 2030, with the 40-year-old age group being those at greatest risk.
It is still not clear what factors may be driving this increase in cases in young people and, therefore, more research is needed.
To carry out the survey, researchers examined study data Global Burden of Disease 2019, including numbers related to new cases, deaths, health consequences — known as disability-adjusted life years or DALYs — and risk factors for people aged 14 to 49. With this, they were able to estimate the percentage change between 1990 and 2019.
“Research into the causes of early-onset cancer is currently quite limited. The hypotheses we present are based on existing data and literature. The impact of air pollution, climate change or the effect of birth cohort on the rising trend of young cancer is not fully investigated. We strongly encourage more investigators and financial support to dedicate themselves to the field of early-onset cancer. This will help to elucidate the factors behind this phenomenon and, ultimately, reduce the social, economic and familial impact of early-onset cancer,” says Xue Li, study author and Global Health researcher at the Usher Institute of University of Edinburgh.
Source: CNN Brasil
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