Aging Cells Might Be Responsible for More Young People Getting Cancer

AUSTIN, Texas - Aug. 15, 2024 - PRLog -- Cancer Rates among Younger People are on the Rise Across the World

While overall US cancer rates have been dropping, oncologists are concerned that the incidence of ten of the most common cancers is rising again, especially among younger adults.

Cancers of the breast, pancreas, and uterine areas increased by up to 1% annually between 2015 and 2019. Prostate, liver (in females), kidney, melanoma, and oral cancers (human papillomavirus) jumped between 2 and 3% annually over the same period.

Worryingly, the demographics of who is getting a cancer diagnosis is also changing – cancer is now affecting younger people in increasing numbers.

Among women aged 24-30, the number of cervical cancers increased by 1-2% annually between 2015 and 2019. Colorectal cancers among men and women under 55 also rose 1-2% in the same period.

As a result, colorectal cancer among people under 50 is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and second in women – a significant rise from the 1990s when it was the fourth leading cause of cancer death.

Unfortunately, these rising rates of cancer among younger people are not limited to the USA – many other countries around the world have seen similar increases in these early-onset cancers.

Are there Environmental Causes for the Rise in Cancer Diagnoses Among Younger Adults?

Cancer researchers have been scrambling to identify an explanation for the increase in early-onset cancers among younger adults.

Given that colorectal cancer rates among young adults have nearly doubled since 1995, researchers are asking if some kind of environmental exposure has increased during this time.

There are many suspects but few concrete answers.

For example, there are concerns over increased air pollution, newer pesticide formulations, the release of hormonal chemicals into the waterways, and PFAS "forever chemicals" found in water supplies.

Given that people are spending more time indoors these days, indoor air pollution is also a greater concern, with household cleaners and flame-retardant chemicals used in clothing, bedding, and furniture coming under increased scrutiny.

Many researchers are looking at the impact of microplastics, which have proliferated in the environment since the 1990s. One recent paper from researchers in New Zealand, titled "Could Microplastics Be a Driver for Early Onset Colorectal Cancer?" notes that people born after 1960 have had more increased exposure to microplastics at an earlier age than older generations. They speculate that microplastics could disrupt the mucus layer of the colon, disrupting its protective effect and possibly leading to colorectal cancer.

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