Multiple types of cancer on the rise in adults under 50, local researchers say

Cancer in adults under 50 is on the rise, according to new research from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

According to researchers at the hospital, breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver and pancreas are among the cancers that have been occurring more frequently in younger adults since 1990.

“From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time (e.g., decade-later) have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age,” explained Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD, a doctor specializing in Pathology at Brigham.

Ogino and her colleague in the Department of Pathology, Tomotaka Ugai, analyzed global data for 14 different cancer types to determine how lifestyle aspects as a young child may lead to cancer decades later.

The research group hypothesized that factors such as diet and lifestyle may be factors in the early-onset cancer epidemic. Sleep deprivation, smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, and highly processed foods are among the high risk factors that the study identified. Consumption of highly processed foods, alcohol and sugary beverages has been on the rise since the 1950′s, as well as diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes, which researchers speculate has accompanied altered microbiome.

“Among the 14 cancer types on the rise that we studied, eight were related to the digestive system. The food we eat feeds the microorganisms in our gut,” said Ugai. “Diet directly affects microbiome composition and eventually these changes can influence disease risk and outcomes.”

Researchers said one limitation of the study was a low amount of data from low and middle income countries to identify cancer trends.

“Without such studies, it’s difficult to identify what someone having cancer now did decades ago or when one was a child,” explained Ugai, “Because of this challenge, we aim to run more longitudinal cohort studies in the future where we follow the same cohort of participants over the course of their lives, collecting health data, potentially from electronic health records, and biospecimen at set time points.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW