The researchers estimate that the global incidence and death rate related to cancer at this age could increase by 31% and 21%, respectively, by 2030, with the highest risk for people aged approximately 40 years.
The study, coordinated by Zhejiang University (China) and involving the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden, is based on data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study on 29 types of cancer in 204 countries and regions.
Although cancer tends to be more common among the elderly, data shows that cases among people under the age of 50 have increased in many parts of the world since the 1990s.
In 2019, total new cancer diagnoses among people under the age of 50 were 1.82 million, an increase of 79.1% compared to 1990, with a particular focus on breast cancer, which was responsible for the largest number of such cases and associated deaths.
However, new cases of bronchial and prostate cancer increased most rapidly during this period, with annualized rate changes of 2.28% and 2.23%, respectively.
In contrast, the incidence of early liver cancer decreased by 2.88% annually.
Globally, 1.06 million people under the age of 50 died of cancer in 2019, an increase of 27.7% from 1990.
After breast cancer, cancers of the trachea, lung, stomach and intestines cause the largest number of deaths in this age group.
The team examined incidence, mortality, health consequences (disability-adjusted life years) and risk factors for people ages 14 to 49, estimating the annual percentage change between 1990 and 2019.
The highest rates of early cancer in 2019 were in North America, Oceania and Western Europe.
Poorer countries were also affected, with the highest death rates among people under 50 years of age in Oceania, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In poor countries, early cancer has had a much greater impact on women than on men, both in terms of mortality and health problems after the disease.
In terms of causes, the team notes that genetics is likely to play a role, but the main risk factors among people under the age of 50 are diets high in red meat and salt and low intake of fruit and milk, as well as alcohol and food consumption. . Tobacco, which contributes to physical inactivity, weight gain and high blood sugar.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations in their analysis, including the variable quality of data from cancer registries across countries, which may have led to underreporting and underdiagnosis.
A commentary published by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast notes that these findings “challenge perceptions about the type of cancer being diagnosed in younger age groups”.
They also consider that “there is an urgent need for prevention measures and early detection, as well as identifying better treatment strategies for early cancer.”
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