US Sees Rise In Cancer Cases Among People Under 50: Study

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.