Experts have raised the alarm
Cancer rates among young people are on the rise, but experts are yet to find a conclusive reason for the increase.
A major new study has revealed that there are eleven types of cancer that are becoming more common among young people.
Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London emphasised that cancer among young people is still rare, but that it is on the rise.
Although risk can be minimised by living a healthy lifestyle, experts warned that they do not have a conclusive answer for why rates of the disease are increasing among people under 50.
The study claims that the trend of people being more overweight has played a role in the increased rates of cancer, but this does not explain the full story.
For example, in cases of bowel cancer, scientists explained that for every 100 extra cases, 20 may be due to excess weight, leaving 80 with no clear explanation.
“It is very worrisome to hear the news that cancers are increasing in young people,” Prof Montserrat García Closas told the BBC.
“However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of cancer by having a healthy lifestyle – for instance, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.”
What are the symptoms of cancer in young people?
The Children and Young People’s Cancer Association says many of the symptoms in young people can also be symptoms of common illnesses, so they may be easy to miss.
However, there are some things to look out for, including:
What cancers are most common in young people?
The new analysis has provided a list of eleven cancers in particular that are seeing a rise in young people.
These eleven cancers are as follows: bowel cancer; thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, womb lining (or endometrial), mouth, breast and ovarian cancers.
The most common cancers in young adults are bowel and breast cancers, with a combined 11,500 cases a year.
Cases of pancreatic and gall bladder cancer are much rarer.
Out of these cancers, the only ones seeing an increase in just young people are bowel and ovarian cancer. The other cancers are also increasing across other age groups.
Bowel cancer
The NHS lists the signs of bowel cancer as including:
Thyroid cancer
The NHS lists the symptoms of thyroid cancer as:
- a lump in the front, lower part of your neck – the lump usually feels hard, slowly gets bigger and is not painful
- a hoarse voice
- a sore throat
- difficulty swallowing or breathing
- pain in the front of your neck, or a feeling like something is pressing against your neck
Other symptoms can include:
- a red face (flushing) – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin
- softer poos or diarrhoea
- weight loss
- a cough
Multiple Myeloma
The NHS says symptoms of myeloma include:
- Bone pain – you may feel this in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs
- Feeling very tired for no reason
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle weakness
- Headaches
- Feeling very thirsty and needing to pee more often than usual
- Losing weight without trying
Sometimes, myeloma can show no symptoms, and you can find out whether you have it after having a blood test for other reasons.
Liver cancer
Liver cancer may not show any symptoms, or they can be hard to spot. However, the NHS says symptoms can include:
Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:
- feeling or being sick
- pain at the top right side of your tummy or in your right shoulder
- symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling full very quickly when eating
- a very swollen tummy that is not related to when you eat
Kidney cancer
The NHS says kidney cancer does not always present obvious symptoms, and can often be diagnosed when undergoing tests for something else.
When there are symptoms, however, they can include:
- Blood in your pee
- A lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck
- Pain between your ribs and waist that does not go away
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- A high temperature that does not go away
- Sweating a lot, including at night
Gallbladder cancer
Gallbladder cancer may not have any symptoms, and those that it does have may be hard to spot.
The symptoms can include:
- The whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin (jaundice) – you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- A high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery
- A lump in your tummy
Gallblader cancer may also present itself by issues with your digestion.
- Feeling or being sick
- Aching pain in the right side of your tummy, sometimes described as a “dragging feeling”
- Sharp pain in your tummy
- A very swollen tummy that’s not related to when you eat
Pancreatic cancer
Although pancreatic cancer may present no symptoms, the NHS lists some signs that may indicate something is wrong.
They say symptoms can include:
- The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (jaundice), and you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- A high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
Other symptoms can cause changes to your digestion, including:
- Feeling or being sick
- Diarrhoea or constipation, or other changes in your poo
- Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back, which may feel worse when you’re eating or lying down and better when you lean forward
- Symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated
Endometrial cancer (womb lining)
The Mayo Clinic says endometrial cancer can present itself with these symptoms:
- Vaginal bleeding after menopause
- Bleeding between periods
- Pelvic pain
Mouth cancer
The NHS lists the symptoms of mouth cancer as follows:
- A mouth ulcer in your mouth that lasts more than 3 weeks
- A red or white patch inside your moutha lump inside your mouth or on your lip
- Pain inside your mouthdifficulty swallowing
- Difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voicea lump in your neck or throat
- Losing weight without trying
Breast cancer
The NHS lists symptoms of breast cancer in women as including:
Ovarian cancers
The NHS says the main symptoms of ovarian cancer include suffering these symptoms roughly twelve or more times per month:
- A swollen tummy or feeling bloated
- Pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between your hips (pelvic pain)
- No appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
- An urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often
Other symptoms can include:
- Indigestion
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Back pain
- Feeling tired all the time
- Losing weight without trying
- Unusual bleeding from the vagina, including between periods, heavier periods or after the menopause
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