Over the past 10 years, rates of colorectal cancer among 25 to 49 year olds have increased in 24 different countries, including the UK, US, France, Australia, Canada, Norway and Argentina.

The investigation’s early findings, presented by an international team at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) congress in Geneva in September 2024, were as eye-catching as they are concerning.

The researchers, from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) International Agency for Research on Cancer, surveyed data from 50 countries to understand the trend. In 14 of these countries, the rising trend was only seen in younger adults, with older adult rates remaining stable.

Based on epidemiological investigations, it seems that this trend first began in the 1990s. One study found that the global incidence of early-onset cancer had increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019, with the number of cancer-related deaths in younger people rising by 29%. Another report in The Lancet Public Health described how cancer incidence rates in the US have steadily risen between the generations across 17 different cancers, particularly in Generation Xers and Millennials.

  • Erasmus@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    We’ve poisoned our planet for the last 100+ years and now we are dying off slowly from the fruits of our labor.

    The irony.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      if that were the case, you’d expect more cancer in older people as well, not just young people.

      edit:

      Cancer deaths are consistently declining in the US. American Cancer Society’s 2023 report

      Despite the pandemic, and in contrast with other leading causes of death, the cancer death rate continued to decline from 2019 to 2020 (by 1.5%), contributing to a 33% overall reduction since 1991 and an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted.

  • thesohoriots@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    Better back that colonoscopy screening up earlier then. I think it’s recommended at age 45 in the US, but I’m guessing insurance won’t want to cover screenings at 5-year intervals for an extra 20 years because money, dear boy.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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      2 hours ago

      It was recently dropped from 50 to 45 in the US. Was that also done for other countries?

      Regardless of improved detection, the most likely explanation is increased obesity rates, which is covered in the article.

      Last time I pointed this out, the toxin and micro plastics people blamed chemical exposure for increased obesity. They don’t want the Boogeyman to be a fat guy.

  • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I bet it ends up being caused by something far more innocuous than any of the first guesses that come to mind.

    • marcos@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      The nightmare scenario is it being caused by something even more insidious and omnipresent than microplastics. The second nightmare scenario is microplastics.

  • tlou3please@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    …okay fine, I have a lump around my ass ring and maybe this convinced me to finally get it checked

  • watson387@sopuli.xyz
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    4 hours ago

    Plastic Sugar Teflon Roundup Lead Pesticides Fertilizers

    Just a few of the hazardous substances we regularly come into contact with on a semi-daily basis. The cause of the problem is capitalism.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Old people come into contact with all that stuff too, not just young people.

      edit:

      Cancer deaths are consistently declining in the US. American Cancer Society’s 2023 report

      Despite the pandemic, and in contrast with other leading causes of death, the cancer death rate continued to decline from 2019 to 2020 (by 1.5%), contributing to a 33% overall reduction since 1991 and an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted.

        • watson387@sopuli.xyz
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          2 hours ago

          My point is that a lot of these things have flooded the market since the early 80s, which would make the tail end of Generation X the first generation that’s been in constant contact with these things their entire lives.

          • hemmes@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            Scotch Guard (PFAS) was released in the 50s and everyone went gangbusters spraying it on everything.

            Plastic based and molded products started to be seen around 1910 and surged in the 50s after WW2.

            Processed foods were a thing since the 1800s with sugars as HFCS added into everything since the 60s.

            Not to discredit what you’re saying, but, and this is solely based within the context of this particular headline discussion, it would cause you to look elsewhere. I’m thinking it’s more stress based. I’m working my butt off to evolve my small business just to survive. While we are having success and growth, it takes no less than 16 hours a day Sunday through Saturday to make it happen. I remember watching some family members and other inspiring business leaders as a kid in the 80s working regular 8 hour days and owning two homes.

            Further to that, psychological medicine is so far behind and mental health has a major, if not direct, effect on physical wellness.

      • Zorque@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        Yes, but capitalism is an economic model that aids and abets greed. Where greed is rewarded almost exclusively.

        • APassenger@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          Which economic model do you prefer?

          The distinction between capitalism and socialism isn’t always a bright line.

          And communism has yet to succeed.

    • Melobol@lemmy.ml
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      4 hours ago

      I’m still convinced that the aluminum in deodorants are not safe either…

      • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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        4 hours ago

        Same. When that news first hit I switched to non-aluminum brands just to be safe.

    • leisesprecher@feddit.org
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      It’s not just capitalism. I’m from east Germany and you wouldn’t believe how much crap was buried, fumed into the air or pumped into the water in the name of peace and socialism.

      Don’t forget, Chernobyl happened because of a cost saving measure.

      BTW, you forgot alcohol, tobacco, vapes, stress and enforced sedentary lifestyle in your cancer list.

      • mean_bean279@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Honestly the working from home with less walking and more sitting seems like the biggest reason for this since there’s some pretty major dietary differences between all these countries, but they probably have a higher rate of WFH compared to other countries.

        • leisesprecher@feddit.org
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          3 hours ago

          Read the article. The trend started in 1990, a time where wfh meant assembling ballpoint pens or prostitution.

          • mean_bean279@lemmy.world
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            56 minutes ago

            “The overall evidence points to lifestyle change," says Shuji Ogino, professor of pathology and epidemiology at Harvard University

            A quote from the article. People were starting WFH well into the 80s. It’s part of a sedentary lifestyle and growing obesity problem. Both of which researchers are pointing to as well as microplastics in our system.

  • Dave@lemmy.nz
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    3 hours ago

    TL;DR, the article says obesity rates and sugar account for a lot but not all of the increase so there is probably something else as well. Some suggestions from the article: artificial light, sleep-patterns, changes in biological clock as a result. Microplastics, especially for colorectal cancer. Ultra processed foods. Increased usage of antibiotics.

    Obesity and sugar are presented as known cancer causes while the others are proposed or suggested by experts in the article but nothing to back it up yet, further research needed.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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      thankfully someone actually read the article (which is pretty bad in terms of accurately representing its citations). One of the other articles cited in OP says:

      Research published in BMJ Oncology found there had been 3.26 million cases in 2019 - 79% more than in 1990. But experts cautioned against reading too much into the findings. The research did not take into account a 40% rise in the total population, while factors such as better reporting may also have played a role. The team, of experts from around the world, including the US, China and the UK, agreed no firm conclusions could be drawn.

      Deaths (as opposed to “incidents”) is a more accurate metric to track since it’s more reliable in terms of detection (obviously) and reporting:

      Cancer killed more than a million under-50s in 2019, a rise of over 25% - but with the 40% population rise, this could actually indicate a falling death rate.

      • Dave@lemmy.nz
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        3 hours ago

        Oh wow, this is really important context. That 79% figure is almost worthless