Adults in the U.S. are increasingly being diagnosed with cancer, and researchers are trying to find out the reason behind it.
A recent government report indicated that morbidity rates of different kinds of cancer are experiencing a significant spike in people under age 50, especially among women.
The research, led by scientists at the National Cancer Institute, analysed more than two million cancer cases in people aged 15 to 49 between 2010 and 2019.
Of the 33 types of cancer considered, 14 showed increasing rates in at least one younger age group. Up to 63% of these early-onset cancers were diagnosed in women, according to The Associated Press.
“These kinds of patterns generally reflect something profound going on. We need to fund research that will help us understand,” Tim Rebbeck of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, stated.
The research was published on May 8, 2025, in the journal Cancer Discovery.
There was a significant rise in breast cancer, which reported up to 4,800 cases in 2019, than the expected based on 2010 rates.
Colon cancer reported up to 2,000 more cases, kidney cancer had 1,800 and uterine cancer reported 1,200 cases.
Most cancer mortality rates in the 15- to 49-year-old age group did not experience a rise; however, researchers saw a rise in mortality rates from colon, uterine and testicular cancers, AP reported.
However, the reason behind the increasing rates of cancer remains unknown.
“Several of these cancer types are known to be associated with excess body weight, and so one of the leading hypotheses is increasing rates of obesity,” lead author of the National Cancer Institute Meredith Shiels stated.
Experts stated that individuals who smoke are expectedly to reduce lung cancer rates. And modifications in testing guidelines may explain the drop in prostate cancer among younger men, according to AP.
