Overview
- An analysis in BMJ Oncology of England’s cancer registry from 2001 to 2019 reports rising incidence in 11 cancers among adults aged 20 to 49.
- The team found most well-known risks for these cancers—smoking, alcohol, red and processed meat, low fibre, and inactivity—were stable or improving in younger adults, while excess weight increased and explains only part of the rise.
- Rates of bowel and ovarian cancer increased in younger adults but not in those 50 and over, pointing to age-specific exposures or differences in detection.
- Preliminary updates through 2023 suggest some recent flattening of earlier increases, yet about 31,000 cancers were still diagnosed in 20 to 49-year-olds in 2023.
- Researchers call for large, long-term studies into other possible drivers—such as ultra-processed foods, PFAS “forever chemicals,” antibiotic-related microbiome changes, and early-life factors—and urge stronger action to reduce obesity now.