Seven cancer types rose among under-50s in England

A World Cancer Research Fund analysis of English NHS data found that rates of seven cancer types rose among people under 50 between 2001 and 2023, including increases in prostate, bowel, kidney, womb, breast, liver and pancreatic cancers. Cancer remains much more common among older adults, and the reasons for the changes are not yet clear, the charity said. The analysis reported that prostate cancer incidence among men under 50 increased from 1 case per 100,000 in 2001 to 3.6 in 2023. Bowel cancer incidence among adults under 50 rose from 3.9 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 over the same period. Among women under 50, breast cancer rates increased from 42 to 47.5 per 100,000, while womb cancer rose from 1.8 to 3.9 per 100,000. Rates also increased for kidney, liver and pancreatic cancers among younger adults in England. WCRF’s analysis found significant increases in five cancer types in the United States and four in the Netherlands, indicating that the pattern was not limited to England. It also reported falling lung cancer rates among under-50s in all three countries, a finding described in the international analysis.