Younger adults see rising cancer rates, World Cancer Research Fund finds

New international research reveals that cases of seven types of cancer have risen sharply among younger people in England, US, and Dutch populations, driven by rising obesity rates, poor diets, and insufficient exercise, even as lung cancer rates decline due to drops in smoking.

Early Onset Cancer Diagnoses Quadruple in England Since 2001

Major international research analyzing English, US, and Dutch cancer data through the World Cancer Research Fund exposed significant increases in early onset cases across multiple tumor types. In England, the number of people under 50 diagnosed with prostate cancer quadrupled since 2001, while early onset bowel, kidney, and uterine cancer diagnoses more than doubled. Although cancer remains generally more common in older adults with median ages above 60, the rate rise among younger populations outpaces other age groups globally.

The study evaluated 12 tumor types in England. For males under 50, prostate cancer frequencies climbed from one per 100,000 individuals in 2001 to 3.6 per 100,000 by 2023. Over that same timeframe, bowel cancer rates for under-50s leapt from 3.9 per 100,000 in 2001 to 8.4 per 100,000 in 2023. Early onset uterine and kidney cancers also doubled, reaching 3.9 and 3 per 100,000 people respectively.

Cancer Rates Rise Among Young Adults in Several Countries

The World Cancer Research Fund analysis identified significant increases for seven cancer types in England, five types in the US, and four in the Netherlands. Official US data since 2000 showed that among patients under 50, kidney cancer incidence rates more than doubled from 2.5 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 5.3 in 2023. Bowel, uterine, and pancreatic cancers in the US all increased by more than 50%, while breast cancer rose by about 20%.

In the Netherlands, researchers uncovered significant early onset increases in bowel, kidney, liver, and cervical cancers. Conversely, lung cancer rates among under-50s declined across England, the US, and the Netherlands, reflecting continuing drops in smoking habits within those nations. Breast cancer among English under-50s climbed less sharply from 42 to 47.5 per 100,000 in 2023, accompanied by increases in early onset pancreatic and liver cancers.

Lifestyle Factors and Increased Awareness Shape the Rise

Experts link these figures to the growing global obesity epidemic, poor diets, insufficient exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, and environmental exposures such as pollutants, chemicals, plastics, and water and air pollution. Roughly 40% of cancers connect to these modifiable risks. At the same time, experts note that greater public awareness of cancer symptoms leads people to seek healthcare earlier.

Dr Giota Mitrou, the executive director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, called the trajectory concerning.

The GuardianBehind every figure is a person facing cancer earlier than they, their family and often their doctor would expect. While cancer is still much more common in older adults, these changing patterns among younger generations need to be treated as a serious research and cancer prevention priority.

According to Mark Lawler, who serves as professor of digital health and holds the chair in translational cancer genomics at Queen’s University Belfast, the situation constitutes a major crisis.

The Guardiana ticking timebomb that we need to defuse as quickly as possible, otherwise the numbers will undoubtedly continue to grow

Lawler added that the overall trend is particularly worrying because lifestyle factors contribute to thousands of deaths.

King's College London Trial Investigates Rising Bowel Cancer Cases

King’s College London launched a new trial involving 250,000 people, funded by Cancer Research UK, to investigate the rising bowel cancer cases among younger adults. The study aims to understand the balance between worsening risk factors and better detection tools. Meanwhile, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson outlined national initiatives.

The GuardianThese findings underline why early diagnosis is at the heart of our national cancer plan. To help catch cancer sooner, we’re investing in new technologies to speed up diagnosis, expanding genetic testing, and supporting research to better understand the causes of cancer and who may be most at risk.