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Study: Under 50 Cancer Rates Surged Over Last 30 Years

    Study: Under 50 Cancer Rates Surged Over Last 30 Years
    Last updated Sep 07, 2023
    Image credit: Unsplash

    Facts

    • Cancer diagnoses for patients under the age of 50 have increased by nearly 80% over the last 30 years, according to a comprehensive study by BMJ Oncology. Scientists are citing a confluence of factors for the uptick.
    • The study includes data from 204 counties and examines 29 types of cancer while delving into new cases, deaths, health implications, and risk factors for people aged 14 to 49. The study also measured changes between 1990 and 2019.
    • Global cases of early-onset cancer rose from 1.82M in 1990 to 3.26M in 2019, while cancer deaths in young adults under 50 increased by 27%. More than 1M people under 50 die of cancer annually.
    • Early-onset breast cancer was the most common form of cancer cases, while nasopharyngeal cancer — a type of head and neck cancer — and prostate cancer had the most significant increases since 1990. Meanwhile, early-onset liver cancer has declined most over the last 30 years.

    Spin

    Establishment-critical narrative

    In a modern, artificial world, nearly everything we eat, drink, and consume has the potential for contact with cancer-causing elements. Therefore, it's no surprise that early-onset cancer has risen so rapidly over the last 30 years. Soda, for example, is chocked full of high amounts of sugar and can lead to obesity, and there are so many more unnatural compounds that make the “diet” versions so dangerous. Our leaders may pay lip service to health and sustainability, but the fact is that large corporations continue to pump out dangerous artificial consumables that are making us sicker than ever.

    Pro-establishment narrative

    There are many factors contributing to the rise in early-onset cancers, and researchers are determined to get to the bottom of this problem. Obviously, not smoking tobacco and overconsuming alcohol can go a long way in preventing cancer along with regular exercise and a balanced diet. While the BMJ Oncology study may seem alarming, cancer still disproportionately affects older people, and young people can take simple, high-leverage measures to reduce their risks and treat cancer in its earliest stages.

    Nerd narrative

    There is a 50% chance that the mean 5-year relative survival rate of all cancers for both sexes in the United States will exceed 75% by April 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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