Mia Williams
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
Scientists may have found the first clue as to why 11 types of cancer are on the rise in young people after years of research.
With one in two of us likely to develop a form of cancer in our lifetime, research into the disease has never been more important.
Roughly two million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year in the US, and it's the second leading cause of death behind heart disease.
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And while the overall cancer death rate has been declining since the early 1990s thanks to earlier detection, reduced smoking, and improved treatments, scientists continue to be puzzled as to why certain types of the disease are increasing among young people.
But researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London have unveiled findings from a new study, that may offer the first clue as to why this is happening.
The experts highlighted 11 cancers that are on the rise among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, including: thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, colorectal (bowel), pancreatic, endometrial (womb lining), oral, breast and ovarian cancers.
Together, these findings point to a broader shift in cancer trends, with diagnoses increasingly affecting people at earlier ages than previously seen.
And according to the study, obesity is likely to play a role.
Obesity is the only known behavioural risk factor that has been increasing in younger adults, while other well-known risks, such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity, have either stayed steady, or declined.
The results of the ground-breaking study reveal that maintaining a more healthy weight could prevent around 20 percent of bowel cancers, 35 percent of endometrial cancers, and 27 percent of kidney cancers.
"We cannot wait to act," says Professor Montserrat García-Closas of the Institute of Cancer Research.
"Tackling obesity across all ages, particularly in children and young people, through stronger public health policies and wider access to effective interventions, could slow the rise in cancer and prevent many cancers - and must become a national priority."
She added: "Although it cannot fully account for the scale of the rise in bowel and other cancers...understanding these patterns is essential for identifying what is truly driving cancer risk in today’s generations."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.