Cancer rates on the rise

A recent study finds certain kinds of cancer are being diagnosed more often in younger adults.

Transcript

00:00 Women and adults in their 30s seem to be driving a rise in early onset cancer diagnosis rates.

00:07 Just to get the definition straight, if a cancer is diagnosed before the age of 50,

00:12 it's considered an early onset diagnosis.

00:15 In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found the rate of cancer diagnosis

00:21 rose in adults in their 30s from 2010 to 2019, but remained stable over that period in other

00:28 under 50 age groups, while the rate of cancer in those 50 and older is going down.

00:34 If you go back to 2010, there was roughly 100 per 100,000 diagnoses made in that population

00:41 of people, again, under the age of 50.

00:44 Fast forward 10 years and it's gone up to close to 103, so about a 3% increase.

00:49 Researchers found early onset cancers were going up fastest among people who identify

00:53 as American Indian, Alaska Natives, Asians and Hispanics.

00:58 Cancers with the highest number of early onset cases diagnosed in 2019 were breast, thyroid

01:05 and colorectal cancers.

01:07 The percentage of the country that is obese at this young age now is higher than it's

01:11 ever been.

01:12 Health experts believe that's one possible reason for the rise, along with smoking and

01:17 lack of exercise.

01:19 Researchers also think screening for these cancers has become more sensitive.

01:23 We are better at finding these cancers earlier.

01:26 The screenings are happening, they're more sensitive, so we may be finding more cancers

01:31 that way.

01:32 For Health Minute, I'm Mandy Gaither.