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Cancer mystery as cases rise among younger people around the world

The number of people under 50 with cancer is increasing in many countries and for many different tumour types. Why this is occurring isn't entirely clear, but it may be due to some aspects of modern life

By Clare Wilson

29 March 2023

A scanning electron micrograph of cancer cells in the intestine

A scanning electron micrograph of cancer cells in the intestine

STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

When it comes to cancer research, we regularly hear good news about the number of people benefiting from advances in treatment. But there is one bad news story about the condition that gets little attention. For three decades, there has been a gradual rise in the number of people under 50 being diagnosed with cancer – and we don’t entirely know why.

The rise is steepest in bowel cancer, but an increase in incidences is happening with tumours of nearly …

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