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A recent article in the scientific journal The Lancet states that there is an explosion of cancers among young adults. Neil Murphy, a scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), answered Brut’s questions.
“This article is interesting because it suggests that this phenomenon is not limited to colorectal cancer. There are 14 cancers for which incidence rates are increasing in young adults.“Neil Murphy is a scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). He too was challenged by the recent article published in The Lancet, and written by the American Cancer Society. It is written there that in young adults, the detection of cancers would explode. This would concern all regions of the world.
“For some cancers, this could be explained by the increase in screening and early detection before the age of 50. This is particularly the case for breast cancer, prostate cancer and thyroid cancer. But for other cancers, that doesn’t seem to be the primary explanation, which would mean there are other factors at play that we don’t really know yet.”, explains the researcher.
Our contemporary way of life could contribute to this increase. “It may be changes in our environment over the past 30 or 40 years, pollution or our exposure to plastics or other chemicals that lead to higher rates in young adults. This is a very understudied area that needs more research, and we hope there will be some. It will really allow us to understand what is at the origin of these cancers.”