Scientists discover clue as to why 11 cancers are rising in young people. #Cancer #England #BBCNews
New research published in the British Medical Journal reveals 11 cancers are becoming more common in young people in England, with bowel and ovarian cancers rising exclusively in younger age groups. The only risk factor found to rise in line with these cancer rates was excess weight. The story is illustrated by the case of Bradley Kums, who died at 23 from bowel cancer after reportedly being dismissed as too young to have the disease.
Summary
The report opens with the tragic case of Bradley Kums, a 23-year-old who died from bowel cancer. His mother Caroline described him as fit, healthy, and on the verge of signing a semi-professional football deal. Despite displaying clear red flag symptoms, Bradley was repeatedly dismissed by medical professionals who considered him too young to have cancer, highlighting a broader systemic issue in how young patients with cancer symptoms are treated.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that 11 types of cancer are becoming increasingly common among young people in England. Of these, nine cancers are rising across broader demographics, but bowel and ovarian cancers are notable for increasing specifically and exclusively among younger populations, making them a particular area of concern.
Researchers examined known cancer risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, and excess weight to determine which, if any, correlated with the observed rise in cancer rates among young people. The study found that excess weight was the only risk factor that rose in parallel with the increasing cancer rates. However, the report acknowledges that this explains only a small part of the overall picture, and that much remains unknown about the underlying causes driving these trends.
Key Insights
- Bradley Kums died from bowel cancer at just 23 years old despite being described as fit, healthy, and on the verge of a semi-professional football career, challenging assumptions about who can develop serious cancers.
- Caroline Kums claims her son was repeatedly dismissed by medical professionals on the basis that he was too young to have cancer, even when he presented with clear red flag symptoms.
- A British Medical Journal study found that 11 cancers are becoming more common in young people in England, pointing to a broad and escalating trend rather than an isolated phenomenon.
- Bowel and ovarian cancers are uniquely rising only in young people, distinguishing them from the other nine cancers in the study which are rising more generally across age groups.
- Among all the risk factors examined — including smoking and alcohol — excess weight was the only one found to be rising in line with the increasing cancer rates in young people, though researchers acknowledged this accounts for only a small part of the explanation.
Topics
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