Professor Andrew Beggs, from the University of Birmingham, runs a special clinic for young people with cancer and, like other experts, believes that more people under the age of 45 are being diagnosed with some form of cancer. It is pointed out that
“There are many reasons for this increase,” he said. observer. “Firstly, we are getting better and better at detecting cancer at an early stage. In addition, special awareness is also involved. Young people are much more sensitive about their health than previous generations. So be proactive in seeking help at the earliest stages of symptoms.”
Scientists say this is good news. If cancer is left untreated for a long time, it can spread within the patient’s body and have potentially fatal consequences. “Catching cancer early means treatment is more likely to be successful,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.
The fact that young people are increasingly willing to seek diagnosis and treatment also reflects significant advances in cancer treatment in recent decades. “Unlike previous generations, people no longer think of cancer as an inevitable death sentence,” Beggs added. “Today, it’s seen as something that can be cured in many cases. That gives them more impetus to move forward.”
Another factor contributing to the increase in cancer among young people is genetic predisposition to diseases such as colorectal cancer and breast cancer. Susceptibility to some of these can be passed down through families, and because carriers live longer and have more children, the causative genes may accumulate in the population. “It’s a selection process. People are surviving longer to pass these genetic changes down through the generations,” Beggs said.
Additionally, there is the prospect that some as yet undetected environmental factors may influence cancer incidence. For example, increased levels of obesity cause increased cancer rates. In contrast, the rapid decline in smokers seen over the past 50 years has resulted in a significant decline in the number of cases.
The good news for younger patients is that they can tolerate higher doses of chemotherapy than older patients, so they can receive more aggressive treatment plans that are more likely to kill any remaining cancer cells in their bodies. Professor Lawrence Young, from the University of Warwick, said: “Cancer survival rates are generally better in younger people. Furthermore, if cancer is discovered incidentally during surgery for another disease, subsequent chemotherapy may be more effective. Tumors are often detected at an early stage.
However, Mr Beggs said significant improvements in early cancer detection had not been implemented as effectively in the UK as in other countries. “Think about bowel cancer. If you live in the US or Europe and you develop early symptoms, you can get a colonoscopy right away, but in the UK there can be quite a delay.” Beggs said. “We need to make real improvements at this stage.”
