Cancer rates jump in patients under age 50, study finds

Cancers diagnosed in people younger than 50 years increased substantially from 2010 to 2019, according to a study published in August in JAMA Network Open. The population-based study analyzed data from 17 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries from Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2019. Breast cancer represented the highest number of cases, and gastrointestinal cancers comprised the fast-growing cancer rates for people under age 50. The jump disproportionately affected women, American Indian or Alaska Native individuals, Asian or Pacific Islander individuals, and people aged 30 to 39 years. (JAMA Network Open article, 8/16/23)