CASES of seven different types of cancer are increasing in adults under the age of 50, experts warn.
The number of 25 to 49-year-olds diagnosed with cancer went up by 24 per cent in the UK between the early 1990s and 2019.
Experts have already observed that rates of bowel cancer have doubled among the under-50s in just 30 years.
But now, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) says that rates of prostate, kidney, womb, liver, pancreas and breast cancers have also increased in adults under 50.
While most cancers are still diagnosed in older adults, the charity has labelled this trajectory as “concerning”.
The WCRF analysed NHS data in England and compared the rates of diagnoses among people in 2001 and 2023.
It found that rates of these cancers in younger adults had all increased by 2023.
Reacting to these findings, Dr Giota Mitrou, executive director of research and policy at WCRF, said: “These figures should make us pause and think.
“Behind every figure is a person facing cancer earlier than they, their family and often their doctor would expect.
“These findings show that the early-onset cancer picture in England is far wider and more complex, involving several cancers rather than bowel cancer alone.
“While cancer is still much more common in older adults, these changing patterns among younger generations need to be treated as a serious research and cancer prevention priority.”
It comes as a new study, funded by Dame Deborah James’ charity, was launched yesterday to investigate why rates of bowel cancer are rising among under-50s.
Researchers are asking 250,000 over-18s to sign up for a study to track their diet, lifestyle and health over time.
Commenting on today’s findings, Dr Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu, WCRF’s international research translation manager, said: “This analysis further highlights that increases in early-onset cancers are not confined to one cancer type but are seen across several cancers.
“We need to understand what is driving these trends, including modifiable risk factors and exposures experienced earlier in life, changes in screening and diagnosis, tumour biology, and whether some groups are being affected more than others.”
The WCRF said that the biological mechanisms behind the early onset of these cancers are not yet fully understood.
It has called for more studies to be done to find out what’s driving this increase.
Here’s what the WCRF’s analysis found:
Prostate cancer
RESEARCHERS observed that in 2001, there were 158 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed among men under 50.
But by 2023, this figure had risen to 640 cases.
According to the charity, this is equivalent to a rise from one case per every 100,000 men under 50 in 2001, to 3.6 cases per 100,000 in 2023.
Cancer Research UK says that at the moment, prostate cancer accounts for 14 per cent of all new cancer cases in the UK, with around 57,900 new cases each year.
Symptoms include: Finding it difficult to start peeing or straining to pee, having a weak flow of urine and feeling like you still need to pee when you’ve just finished.
The cancer, however, usually has no symptoms at first.
Kidney cancer
FOR kidney cancer diagnoses, cases rose from 510 in under-50s in 2001 to 1,065 in 2023.
This is equivalent to 1.5 cases per 100,000 in 2001, rising to 3 per 100,000 in adults under 50 in 2023.
Kidney cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the UK with around 14,500 new cases diagnosed every year.
It accounts for 4 per cent of all new cancer cases in the UK with incidence rates highest in people aged 85 to 89.
Symptoms include: Blood in your pee, a lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs or in your neck and a pain between your ribs and waist that doesn’t go away.
Womb cancer
RATES of women aged under 50 diagnosed with womb cancer increased from 1.8 per 100,000 in 2001 to 3.9 per 100,000 in 2023.
Cases rose from 335 in 2001 to 698 in 2023.
Womb cancer, also known as uterine cancer, is the 12th most common cancer in the UK with around 10,200 new cases every year.
Symptoms include: Bleeding or spotting from the vagina after menopause, heavy periods that are unusual for you, vaginal bleeding between your periods and a change in vaginal discharge.
Liver cancer
FOR liver cancer diagnoses, cases in under-50s rose from 160 in 2001 to 278 in 2023.
The WCRF said this is equivalent to an increase from 0.5 cases per 100,000 in 2001 to 0.8 cases in 2023.
At the moment, there are around 7,000 new cases of liver cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
It is the 17th most common cancer in the UK and accounts for 2 per cent of all new cancer cases.
Symptoms include: The whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow (jaundice), a lump in the right side of your tummy and a loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to.
Pancreatic cancer
CASES of pancreatic cancer in adults under the age of 50 rose from 255 in 2001 to 346 in 2023.
This means the incidence rate increase from 0.8 per 100,000 to one per 100,000.
There are around 11,500 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the UK every year.
Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly and people often won’t have any symptoms, or they might be hard to spot.
For those who do experience symptoms, these include: the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (jaundice), feeling tired or having no energy, symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated.
Breast cancer
WOMEN under the age of 50 diagnosed with breast cancer increased from 6,886 in 2001 to 8,507 in 2023, the WCRF observed.
Incidence rates rose from 42 per 100,000 to 47.5 per 100,000 during that time period.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with around 59,400 new cases every year, according to Cancer Research UK.
Symptoms include: A lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit, a change in the skin of your breast and a change in size or shape of one or both breasts.
Bowel cancer
FINALLY, bowel cancer cases among younger adults increased from 1,289 in 2001 to 2,989 in 2023.
This represents a rise from 3.9 cases per 100,000 adults under 50 in 2001 rising to 8.4 per 100,000 in 2023.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK.
Symptoms include: Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you, bleeding from your bottom and a lump in your tummy.