The number of people under 50 diagnosed with cancer in the UK rose by 24 per cent between 1995 and 2019, according to figures from Cancer Research UK, with nearly 35,000 Britons aged 25 to 49 being diagnosed in 2019.
While cases among people over 75 in G20 countries peaked in 2005 and are now declining, rates among young people aged 20 to 34 are at their highest in the past 30 years.
The role of inflammation
In all types of cancer, inflammation may play a vital role in preparing cells for disease because inflamed tissues are more likely to turn cancerous, and mutations occur in vulnerable cells when they are exposed to an external stimulus such as drinking alcohol, smoking, air pollution, or exposure to chemicals.
Diet
There are regional differences in cancer rates and types, with the highest rates of early cancer occurring in Western Europe, North America and Oceania, but a comparison between South Korea and neighbouring Japan provides an important indication.
South Korea is similar to Japan economically and ethnically, but the lifestyle in Korea is closer to that of the United States and Western Europe, and the country has a marked increase in early-onset cancers of the digestive system similar to high-income Western countries, suggesting that the Western diet may be responsible.
Obesity and alcohol
Obesity may be an important factor in early-onset cancer, along with alcohol. Dr. Aparna Parikh, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical director of colorectal cancer in young adults at Massachusetts General Hospital, agrees.
the environment
Those affected may also be exposed to environmental exposures such as plastics, so early onset is linked to a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors, Parikh adds.
