Media: cancer cases soared globally among young adults
American doctors note the growing prevalence of cancer among young people in many regions of the world, which is especially noticeable in North America, Western Europe and Australia, TASS reports
According to The Wall Street Journal, during the observation period from 2000 to 2019, the number of cases of diagnosed cancer patients among people under 50 increased by 12.8 percent.
Andrea Cercek, a doctor at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, noted that the issue could be some kind of environmental change, food, medication or something that doctors have not yet identified.
Monique Gary, Medical Director of the Grand View Health Hospital in Pennsylvania, also commented on the situation, “We’re seeing more and more [cancer cases among] young people. This does not correspond to the classical understanding that cancer is a disease of the old,” she stressed.
Scientists are conducting many studies to analyse various hypotheses that could explain this trend. They are looking at possible factors such as sedentary lifestyles and microplastics in the air, with special attention paid to the association between frequent consumption of sugary drinks during adolescence and an increased risk of cancer. Scientists also note a link between excess weight and an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.
