Study details and key findings

For the study, the researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, which examined the prevalence of 29 cancers in 204 countries and regions. Using this data, the researchers identified the number of new cancer cases, deaths, health consequences, and other factors among patients ages 14 to 49.

In 2019, there were 3.26 million new diagnoses of early-onset cancer among patients under the age of 50. According to the researchers, this was a 79.1% increase from the number of early-onset cases reported in 1990.

There was also a 27.7% increase in deaths from early-onset cancers, growing from roughly 800,000 in 1990 to 1.06 million in 2019. Early-onset cancers with the highest mortality rates included breast, trachea, lung, bowel, and stomach.

Among the 29 cancers studied, breast cancer had the highest number of early-onset cancers (16.5%), as well as the highest number of early-onset deaths (12.84%). The cancers that had the fastest increases in incident rates between 1990 and 2019 were prostate cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer.

The regions that saw the highest rates of early-onset cancers were North America, Australasia, and Western Europe. Meanwhile, Eastern Europe, Oceania, and Central Asia were the regions that had the highest mortality rates from early-onset cancers. The "local environment, lifestyle and level of available medical treatment" could all impact incidence and mortality rates in different regions, the researchers wrote.

According to the researchers, some factors contributing to the increase in early-onset cancers include genetics, poor diet, alcohol and tobacco use, physical inactivity, and obesity.

"Dietary risk factors (diet high in red meat, low in fruits, high in sodium and low in milk, etc.), alcohol consumption and tobacco use are the main risk factors underlying early-onset cancers," the authors wrote.

Overall, the researchers predict that by 2030, incidence rates of early-onset cancers will increase by 31%, and mortality rates from these cancers will increase by 21%.

Commentary

According to  Claire Knight, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, it's "not fully clear what is driving the rise in early-onset cancers, but exposure to risk factors in earlier life, better detection of cancer and genetics might all play a part."

"We need more research to examine the causes of early-onset cancer for specific cancer types, like our BCAN-RAY study that is looking at new ways to identify younger women at higher risk of breast cancer," Knight said.

"If people are concerned about their cancer risk, there are lots of ways to help reduce this, such as not smoking, maintaining a balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise and staying safe in the sun," she added.

Another way people can reduce their risk is to get screened for cancer at the recommended ages. In the United States, the recommended age to begin screening for colon cancer was recently lowered from 50 to 45. Similarly, the recommended age for breast cancer screenings was decreased from 50 to 40.

"I think it's important for younger individuals who meet screening criteria to consider and pursue screening at age-appropriate times," said Christopher Flowers, an oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Look at the importance of screening, and that really gets to the point around those screenable cancers: there's breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervix cancer." (Shamlian, CBS News, 9/6; Carbajal, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/7; Kato, New York Post, 9/6; Newton, The Independent, 9/6)

Want the latest information for your next oncology strategy meeting? These ready-to-use slides include growth forecasts for cancer incidence and service volumes, a look at how COVID-19 has changed cancer care, and an overview of the most important trends affecting cancer care and their implications for different oncology stakeholders.