Study finds possible cause of rising cancer cases among adults

The number of bowel cancer cases among young people is increasing worldwide. Cancer is considered the second leading cause of death globally and some forms of the disease are responsible for a large number of fatalities.

According to recent research reports, the risk of certain types of cancer among young adults (under the age of 50) has been steadily increasing since the 1950s. A new study has now identified a key reason behind this trend.

Researchers found that people born in the 1980s and 1990s are experiencing a faster increase in their biological age compared to previous generations which may be an important factor contributing to rising cancer rates.

While a person’s age is usually determined by their date of birth (chronological age), medical experts also consider biological age which reflects the condition of the body’s physical and mental functions. Genes, lifestyle and environmental factors influence biological age.

The higher a person’s biological age, the greater their risk of developing various diseases. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the United States compared the biological ages of individuals born between 1965–1969 and those born between 1990–1999.

The results showed that the biological age of people born in the 1990s was increasing more rapidly than that of individuals born in the 1960s. The difference was more pronounced among men than women.

According to the study, the greater the gap between biological age and chronological age, the higher the risk of developing different cancers, including cancers of the lungs, digestive system and colon.

Between 1990 and 2019, cancer rates among people under the age of 50 increased by 24 percent. In particular, colorectal (bowel) cancer has become increasingly common among younger adults.

The research found that people born in the 1990s have more than four times the risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with those born in earlier decades.

Researchers suggest that several factors may be responsible for this trend, including earlier onset of puberty, increasing obesity, diabetes and stroke occurring at younger ages. These conditions may accelerate biological aging and increase cancer risk.

The study also noted that the aging process of individual organs can differ from that of the body as a whole, and different organ systems may age at different rates. Researchers discovered that when the immune system ages faster than a person’s actual age, the risk of cancer increases.

Similarly, when fatty tissues age more rapidly than the rest of the body, the risk of colorectal cancer rises. The researchers emphasized that there is still no definitive explanation for the increasing cancer rates among young people. However, studies like this help gather important evidence that may explain why cancer cases are rising rapidly in younger generations.

Future research will focus on understanding how environmental factors contribute to cancer risk and identifying effective strategies for prevention. The findings of the study were published in the journal Medicine.