2024-01-13 17:41:00
Cancer is a more common disease in older people, but evidence suggests that cases among those under 50 have increased in many parts of the world since the 1990s (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Cancer arises when damaged or abnormal cells reproduce uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body, as defined by the American Cancer Society. The reasons that cause the birth of a tumor are multiple and are strongly linked to age, at least that is what happens in the majority of cases.
However, although the inevitable cellular aging process constitutes the determining risk factor, scientific evidence shows that more and more cases of cancer are being detected in young adults around the world.
According to a large scientific study published in BMJ Oncology Conducted by an international consortium of researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Sweden, cancer diagnoses in those under 50 years of age increased 79% since 1990 globally.
In 2019, 1.82 million new cases were reported in this age group globally and a 31% increase in incidence and 21% in deaths associated with cancer are projected by 2030. The research, which used Data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study included 29 types of cancer in 204 countries and regions.
According to the conclusions of the study, people who are 40 years old today represent one of the most vulnerable groups to this change in the expansion of oncological diseases. Breast cancer led the number of new cases and deaths in the group under 50 years of age, while trachea and prostate cancers showed a more rapid increase, with estimated annual growth of 2.28% and 2.23% respectively. . In contrast, liver cancer has seen a decline of 2.88% annually.
One million people under 50 years of age died in 2019 from cancer, which implies an increase of 27.7% compared to 1990 (Illustrative Image Infobae)
While this large international study revealed that the risk of early cancer has increased in each generation since the 1990s and scientists are investigating possible causes ranging from sedentary lifestyles to exposure to environmental pollution, the incidence of poor diet and obesity, experts agree that these reasons do not fully explain the situation of young and healthy patients.
Consulted by Infobae, Dr. Diego Kaen (MP 1898), president of the Argentine Association of Oncology (AAOC), considered that “there is no single reason why cases increased in those under 50 years of age, but rather the cause is multifactorial. There are multiple reasons that show us this increase in the frequency of diagnoses. Of course, lifestyle is an important factor and that is fully demonstrated: increased stress and decreased physical activity play a role. It is also true that today better diagnoses are made, we are more precise and more effective when diagnosing cancer, and this is also a reason.”
A 31% increase in incidence and 21% in deaths from cancer is projected by 2030 (Gettyimages)
“It is absolutely proven that a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle habits increase the probability of having cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) says clearly. If we manage to reduce stress, improve our diet – this means eating less high-fat and ultra-processed foods and increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits -, if we eliminate cigarettes, if we eliminate or reduce alcohol as much as possible, if we take care of exposure solar; If we do all this, we will be able to prevent it,” explained Dr. Kaen.
For her part, Dr. Liliana Zamora, head of the Gynecological Oncology section of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires (MN 93,591), told Infobae: “Regarding the increase in cases in those under 50 years of age, we must be cautious and evaluate many variables. Since 1990 until now, diagnostic methods have improved, people study themselves more and there are many factors that mean we also know more about the disease.”
For the specialist in gynecological oncology, the advance of non-communicable diseases that can be prevented with changes in lifestyle is part of the explanation: “We must keep in mind that it is very important to control the large epidemics that are observed today in the world, which are obesity, alcohol consumption, addictions, hypertension and diabetes, because all of them have a great impact on the development of tumors.”
Data shows a higher incidence of cancer in young people in North America, Australia, Asia and Western Europe (Illustrative Image Infobae)
The international view agrees on the multifactorial origin of the rise in oncological diagnoses: “Patients are increasingly younger. “It’s likely some environmental change, whether it’s something in our food, our medications, or something we haven’t identified yet,” said Dr. Andrea Cercek, co-director of the early-onset gastrointestinal cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. of New York, in statements to The Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Monique Gary, medical director of the cancer program at Grand View Health in Pennsylvania, added to the American media that “we are seeing more and more young people who do not fit the classic teaching that cancer is a disease of aging.”
“We have to understand that cancer is an increasingly common disease, which is going to be among us. We have to talk about cancer, because the cure can occur as long as we find it in time,” highlighted Dr. Kaen.
The president of the Argentine Association of Clinical Oncology stressed that it is crucial to carry out regular oncological check-ups to detect the disease in early stages (Europa Press)
“Prevention means avoiding 40% of the probability that a person will have cancer. In other words, we can reduce the 40% probability of getting sick just with a good diet and better lifestyle habits,” stressed the president of AAOC.
And he highlighted the importance of physical exercise as a prevention tool, something that is often underestimated. “There is a wide variety of studies on the association of body mass index (BMI) and the risk of breast, prostate, and endometrial cancer. Body mass index and obesity are today very important risk factors in the population of young and older adults,” he added.
In that sense, he stressed that it is essential to know that, in the majority of patients, cancer in early stages does not present symptoms, which is why visiting the doctor to carry out oncological check-ups is key when one is healthy. “Many patients undergo cardiological check-ups, but when the check-up is oncological, the stress level increases due to fear of the result. So it is very important to understand that the asymptomatic patient must have an annual check-up as recommended according to their age, history and gender.”
For her part, Dr. Zamora pointed out that the ideal is to have a primary care doctor who can control all the variables (cholesterol, overweight, diabetes, etc.), not only those that may appear, but also the things that can be prevented and the Habits that should be changed. As an example, it is very common that if a person has leg pain they go to the traumatologist and if they have itching, they go to the dermatologist. But it is advisable to first consult a clinical doctor or family doctor and he will refer you. “Sometimes you think you’re gaining time and you’re wasting time by consulting specialists without first knowing if there are symptoms of something more systemic.”
Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, poor diet and alcohol consumption, in addition to greater precision in diagnoses, are influential factors in the greater number of cases of cancer in young adults (Illustrative image Infobae)
The increase in cancer diagnoses in young adults also puts at the center of the debate whether it is necessary to rethink prevention strategies focused on age groups. In the words of the president of AAOC, what is being proposed in the scientific community is the convenience of lowering the age of screening programs for the early detection of cancer, whether in mammograms, colonoscopies or others: “Today more studies are being done than before and the increase could also be due to better diagnostic methods for cancer detection.”
Global data show that North America, Australia, Asia and Western Europe have the highest rates of early cancer incidence. The BMJ Oncology study noted that poor eating patterns, alcohol and tobacco use are driving the growth of cancer diagnoses in young adults. Although they are not the only causes that explain the growth.
Furthermore, the mortality burden was found to be highest in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Oceania, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In these regions, the greatest impact occurred in women, both in deaths and in the quality of life of patients after diagnosis.
The study researchers pointed out the possibility of genetic factors in this increase in incidence in young adults, but also emphasized that poor diet, physical inactivity, overweight and diabetes are significant causes of the overall increase.
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