Early-onset cancer rates rising worldwide among under-50s

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 19:19 · Archive

Cancer rates in people under 50 have risen significantly worldwide, particularly for bowel, breast and cervical cancers.

Cancer diagnoses in people under 50 are rising worldwide. In England, bowel cancer diagnoses in under-50s doubled from one in 26,000 people annually in 2001 to one in 12,000 by 2023, according to analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). Seven cancer types showed rising rates in England alone, including breast, cervical and uterine cancers. Despite these increases, cancer remains uncommon in young people; a professor of clinical epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Research noted that even tripled rates of a small number remain a small number.

Latin America has experienced particularly rapid growth. A 2025 study found early-onset colorectal cancer rising in 27 of 50 countries and territories analysed. In Chile, rates rose at almost 4% per year, among the highest globally. In Brazil, hospital data from the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in São Paulo showed colorectal cancer patients under 50 grew by 7.6% annually between 2000 and 2023.

Scientists are investigating whether this represents genuinely more cases or reflects better awareness and diagnosis. The Guardian reports that evidence points to obesity and poor diet as causes. Earlier detection through improved screening is thought to contribute partly to the rise, but researchers suggest it is not the main driver. The Prospect-UK trial is recruiting 250,000 participants to study early-onset bowel cancer and examine nutrition in greater detail than previously.

How it is being reported

• The Guardian view on cancers in under-50s: the risks of obesity must be confronted | EditorialMore research into the troubling rise in early onset cancers is needed. But we already know that food is among the culprits The latest findings about the rise in cancers in people under 50 , from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), are extremely concerning. While a cancer diagnosis is bad news at any time, it is a particular blow for those in younger age groups where most people are in good health. Overlapping trends observed in England, the Netherlands and the US include a troubling rise in the incidence of colorectal (or bowel) cancer. Other diseases that have increased in England…The Guardian · 8 Oct, 18:50
• Early-onset cancer rising worldwide: Causes, risk, preventionAcross Latin America, early-onset cancer rates have risen, but Chile and Brazil have seen the fastest growth, especially with bowel, breast and cervical cancers. But it is a worldwide trend.DW News · 8 Oct, 14:26

In this story: World Cancer Research Fund · England · United States · Netherlands · Latin America · Chile · Brazil · A.C. Camargo Cancer Center

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