Study: Cases of several types of cancer are rising among young people in England

Cases of seven types of cancer have risen significantly among people under 50 in England over the last two decades, according to an analysis published by the World Cancer Research Fund.

The analysis examined official cancer registry data for 12 types of the disease over the period 2001–2023. Significant increases were identified for breast, colorectal, kidney, liver, pancreatic, prostate and uterine cancer.

The largest proportional increase was recorded in prostate cancer. Diagnoses among men under 50 rose from 158 cases in 2001 to 640 cases in 2023, while incidence rose from 1 to 3.6 cases per 100,000 men. Nevertheless, prostate cancer remains relatively rare in this age group.

Early-onset colorectal cancer also saw a marked rise. Incidence among women rose from 3.8 to 8.3 cases per 100,000, while among men it rose from 4 to 8.4 cases per 100,000.

Significant increases were also recorded for uterine and kidney cancer. The uterine cancer rate doubled, from 1.8 to 3.9 cases per 100,000 women. Meanwhile, kidney cancer incidence rose from 1.2 to 2.3 cases per 100,000 women and from 1.9 to 3.6 cases per 100,000 men.

Breast cancer remained the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women under 50. Incidence rose from 42 to 47.5 cases per 100,000 women. Smaller increases were also identified for liver and pancreatic cancer.

The analysis also compared data from the United States and the Netherlands. In the U.S., significant increases were identified in five types of cancer, while in the Netherlands increases were identified in four types.

The data show a rise in cases of several types of early-onset cancer, prompting the need for further studies to understand the factors that may be linked to these trends.