Cancer remains predominantly a disease of older age, but new research has revealed sharp increases in several cancers among younger adults - raising questions about why more people are being diagnosed before the age of 50.

New analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund has found significant increases in several early-onset cancers in England, the US and the Netherlands.

In England, prostate cancer incidence among under-50s quadrupled between 2001 and 2023, while rates of bowel, kidney and uterine cancers more than doubled.

The findings come as growing attention is being paid to the number of people developing cancer at younger ages, although experts stress that cancer is still far more common in older adults.

Dr said the figures need to be viewed carefully rather than interpreted as evidence that cancer is suddenly becoming a common disease among younger people.

He said: ‘We are seeing some striking increases in the incidence of certain cancers among younger adults, but it is important to distinguish an increase in the number of diagnoses from an overall change in how common cancer is among younger people.

‘Cancer remains predominantly a disease of older age. What these figures tell us is that certain cancers are being diagnosed more frequently in younger adults, and that is something researchers need to understand.'

Are more younger people actually developing cancer?

One of the key questions is whether the increase reflects a genuine rise in cancer developing among younger people, or whether changes in diagnosis and detection are contributing to the figures.

Dr Kubes said: ‘When we see cancer rates increasing, there are several possible explanations.

‘Some of the increase may represent a genuine change in the underlying risk of developing a particular cancer. But we also have to consider whether we are detecting cancers earlier or investigating symptoms more frequently than we did in the past.

‘Improvements in imaging, diagnostic testing and awareness can all affect the number of cancers that are identified.'

He said the answer is also likely to vary between different types of cancer.

‘Cancer is not one disease. Prostate cancer, bowel cancer, kidney cancer and uterine cancer have very different biology and risk factors, so we should be cautious about looking at several rising cancer rates and assuming they all have the same cause.'

Could lifestyle be behind the rise?

Lifestyle and environmental factors are among the areas researchers are investigating, particularly as some established cancer risk factors have become more common or are affecting people at younger ages.

Factors including obesity, diet, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and environmental exposures can influence cancer risk, but Dr Kubes warned against reducing the findings to a single lifestyle explanation.

He said: ‘It is tempting to look at these figures and immediately ask whether diet, obesity, alcohol or another lifestyle factor is responsible.

‘These factors can certainly influence cancer risk, but the reality is much more complicated. Different cancers have different risk factors and there can be interactions between genetics, environment, lifestyle and other factors that we do not yet fully understand.

‘We should be careful not to tell younger people that they have caused their own cancer through a particular lifestyle choice when the scientific picture is much more complex.'

What about better screening and diagnosis?

Changes in screening and medical practice can also affect cancer statistics.

If more people are being investigated for particular symptoms, or if doctors have become better at identifying cancer at an earlier stage, the number of recorded diagnoses can increase.

Dr Kubes said: ‘Detection is an important part of the story.

‘If we look harder for a disease, we will inevitably find more of it. Better diagnostic technology can identify cancers that might previously have gone undiagnosed, while greater awareness can encourage people to seek medical attention sooner.

‘That does not necessarily mean that every increase we are seeing is simply down to better detection. The challenge for researchers is separating those effects from a genuine increase in cancer risk.'

Why are researchers concerned about cancer before 50?

The reason early-onset cancer is attracting so much attention is not simply that cases are increasing, but because researchers are trying to understand why some cancer patterns are changing.

Dr Kubes said: ‘The important question is not whether we should be frightened of cancer in our thirties or forties. It is why we are seeing these particular patterns and whether there are preventable factors contributing to them.

‘Understanding what is driving these trends could ultimately help us identify people at higher risk, improve prevention strategies and potentially change how we approach early detection in the future.'

What does this mean for younger adults?

Dr Kubes stressed that younger people should not become alarmed by the latest figures or assume that they are now at high risk of developing cancer.

He said: ‘These findings should not lead to a situation where every young person becomes anxious about cancer.

‘Cancer is still much more likely to occur as we get older. But it does reinforce the importance of taking persistent or unusual symptoms seriously rather than assuming that cancer is impossible simply because of someone's age.

‘From a research perspective, the priority now should be understanding why these increases are occurring and which factors are genuinely driving them.'