Cancer is becoming more common among people under the age of 50

The number of global cancer cases in the 14 to 49 age group has increased from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019, according to the study in the journal BMJ Oncology.

According to the study, the number of deaths due to cancer has also risen sharply among the over-50s. In 2019, more than a million people under the age of 50 died of cancer, about 28 percent more than in 1990.

Largest increase in trachea and prostate cancer
The deadliest cancers were breast, trachea, lung, colon and stomach cancer. The researchers observed the strongest increase in trachea and prostate cancer. The number of liver cancer cases, on the other hand, fell.

The authors point out in the study that part of this increase is due to population growth. However, previous research has already shown that cancer is being diagnosed more often among young people under the age of fifty.

The international research team identified poor diet, smoking and alcohol as the main risk factors in this age group. But the exact cause of the growth “is still unclear,” she added.

Data from 204 countries
The researchers used data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, which analyzed data from 29 different types of cancer in 204 countries. Corresponding data from Switzerland were also taken into account.

The more developed a country, the higher the cancer rate among people under the age of 50, the study found. This could indicate that wealthier countries with better healthcare systems are more likely to get cancer. Few countries screen for certain types of cancer in people under age 50, the researchers said.