"New Cancer Patients Increase by 80% in 30 Years... Age Group in Their 40s at Highest Risk"

British Research Team Analyzes 1990-2019 Data
Causes Include Meat, Saltiness, Alcohol, Smoking, Overweight, and High Blood Sugar

Over the past 30 years, the number of new cancer cases among individuals under 50 years old worldwide has increased by 79% annually. The fastest-growing cancers were bronchial cancer and prostate cancer, while the cancers with the highest mortality rates were breast cancer, bronchial cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer.

On the 6th, Professor Lee She from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and his team published the results of an analysis of the 'Global Burden of Disease' study data on 29 types of cancer across 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2019 in the medical journal BMJ Oncology.

According to the analysis, cancer is more commonly diagnosed in the elderly, but there is substantial evidence showing an increase in incidence among those under 50 since the 1990s.

The research team investigated new cancer incidence, mortality, health outcomes (disability-adjusted life years: DALY), and contributing risk factors for the 14-49 age group using the Global Burden of Disease study data, estimating annual change rates between 1990 and 2019.

The analysis revealed that in 2019, the total number of new cancer diagnoses among those under 50 was 3.26 million, a 79.1% increase from 1.82 million cases in 1990. Furthermore, deaths caused by early-onset cancers increased by 27.7%, from 830,000 in 1990 to 1.06 million in 2019.

Breast cancer accounted for the highest number of early-onset cases and deaths, with an incidence of 13.7 per 100,000 population and a mortality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 worldwide. Following this, cancers with high mortality and significant health impact included bronchial, lung, stomach, and colorectal cancers, while kidney and ovarian cancers showed the steepest increases in mortality rates.

During this period, the early-onset cancers with the fastest-growing incidence rates were bronchial cancer and prostate cancer, with annual increases of 2.28% and 2.23%, respectively. In contrast, early-onset liver cancer incidence decreased by 2.88% annually.

The Region with the Highest Early-Onset Cancer Incidence is 'North America'

In 2019, the region with the highest incidence rate of early-onset cancer was North America (273.2 per 100,000 people), while the lowest was Western Sub-Saharan Africa (37.4 per 100,000 people). Regions with high mortality rates from early-onset cancer included Oceania (39.1 per 100,000 people), Eastern Europe (33.7 per 100,000 people), and Central Asia (31.8 per 100,000 people), whereas the region with the lowest rate was the high-income Asia-Pacific area (16.3 per 100,000 people).
[Photo by Jianhui Zhao et al./BMJ Oncology·Yonhap News]

In 2019, the region with the highest early-onset cancer incidence was North America (273.2 per 100,000), while the lowest was Western Sub-Saharan Africa (37.4 per 100,000).

Regions with high mortality rates from early-onset cancers included Oceania (39.1 per 100,000), Eastern Europe (33.7 per 100,000), and Central Asia (31.8 per 100,000), whereas the lowest mortality was observed in the high-income Asia-Pacific region (16.3 per 100,000).

Based on trends observed over the past 30 years, the research team projected that by 2030, the global number of new early-onset cancer cases and related deaths will increase by 31% and 21%, respectively. The 40s age group is expected to be at the greatest risk.

They noted that genetic factors appear to have a significant influence on the increase in cancer incidence among those under 50, but major risk factors for cancers in this age group include diets high in red meat and salt and low in fruits and milk, alcohol consumption, and smoking, with physical inactivity, overweight, and high blood sugar also contributing.

Professor Ashley Hamilton from the Public Health Centre at Queen's University Belfast (QUB), in a commentary published alongside the study, stated, "These findings overturn common perceptions about the types of cancers affecting those under 50. While lifestyle factors likely influenced this trend, fully understanding it remains challenging."

He added, "Urgent measures are needed for prevention and early detection, alongside finding optimal treatment strategies for early-onset cancers. Achieving these goals requires global partnerships, collaboration, and resource allocation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.