2024-03-29 15:15:39
The fact that Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of forty is one of the manifestations of a broader phenomenon, which is the increase observed in recent decades in the number of people over fifty who fall victim to the malignant disease.
Cancer specialist and researcher at the University of Birmingham, Shivan Sivakumar, confirmed to Agence France-Presse that there is an actual “epidemic” among those under the age of fifty.
Between 1990 and 2019, the incidence of cancer worldwide increased by 80% in this age group, according to a large study published in 2023 by the journal BMG Oncology, which focused on the 30 most common types of cancer.
This phenomenon, which especially affects developed countries, leads to an increase in deaths from cancer among those under the age of 50. Over the course of 3 decades, their number has increased by regarding 28%.
Some of these cases caused shock to the public, including, for example, the death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman at the age of 43 as a result of colorectal cancer in 2020.
There has been a noticeable spread, especially among young people, of digestive system cancers (colon, esophagus, liver, etc.), which, according to the American Cancer Society, is the main cause of cancer death in men under fifty, and the second cause of death among women of the same age, following breast cancer.
There is no explanation for this phenomenon, but there is no doubt that there are intertwined factors behind it.
Dr. Sivakumar stresses that “there seems to be no single factor that is decisive” at the moment.
But what is certain is that there is no truth to the theory circulating among opponents of vaccination, according to which anti-Covid vaccines are behind the increase in cancer cases among young people, as this phenomenon existed long before the pandemic.
No clear reason
Researchers tend to suggest two main factors: either recent generations were more vulnerable than their predecessors to known risk factors, or new risks have emerged.
One of the most prominent pieces of evidence for the first hypothesis is that people in their forties today started smoking, drinking alcohol, or becoming obese at a younger age than the generations before them who had these experiences.
Epidemiologist Helen Coleman from Queen’s University in Belfast was interested in studying cancer among young people in Northern Ireland, and noted the existence of an “obesity epidemic” that did not exist before the 1980s.
As for the other hypothesis, which holds that cancers in the forties are caused by the emergence of new carcinogenic substances, its proponents point, for example, to chemicals, microplastics, and new medicines, but everything related to them remains within the framework of speculation.
Recently, it has been suggested that ultra-processed foods, which receive strong media attention, are a possible cause of an increase in cancer cases in people under fifty. But “there is very little data to support this idea,” says Professor Coleman.
Unless there is knowledge of the deep causes of this phenomenon, it will be difficult to determine the measures that should be taken to curb the increase in cancer cases among young people.
Some health authorities believe that testing is extremely important. Therefore, in 2021, the United States lowered to 45 the age at which colorectal cancer screening is recommended. In France, the minimum age is still 50 years, but some gastroenterologists are calling for it to be lowered.
More generally, the researchers interviewed by AFP hope that the Princess of Wales’s case will draw young people’s attention to the fact that cancer does not only affect older people. If you suspect any of the symptoms, it is best to consult a doctor regarding it.
“If you feel that something is wrong, do not waste time: go and undergo the necessary tests,” says Dr. Sivakumar.
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