A major new study suggests a troubling shift is underway in England's health landscape, with 11 cancers rising among younger adults – a trend scientists say may be linked in part to obesity, though much remains unexplained.
A comprehensive study conducted by the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London offers the first significant clue as to why this phenomenon is occurring.
The research, published in BMJ Oncology, suggests that rising levels of overweight and obesity, a pattern that has persisted since the 1990s, appear to be playing a role in the increase.
Scientists believe excess body fat may alter hormones such as insulin, potentially elevating cancer risk. However, researchers emphasised that this explanation remains incomplete.
Rising obesity rates may be fueling a surge in cancer
|GETTY
The study's authors were keen to stress that cancer diagnoses among younger individuals remain uncommon and that adopting a healthy lifestyle can meaningfully reduce one's risk.
For Bradley Coombes, however, those statistics offered little protection. The Portsmouth native embodied youthful vitality, a young man on the cusp of signing a semi-professional football contract at just 23.
But despite presenting numerous warning signs of bowel cancer, he was repeatedly told he was simply too young for such a diagnosis.
His mother, Caroline Mousdale, recalls how her son began experiencing weight loss and abdominal pain following his first year at university, followed by diarrhoea and blood in his stools.
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The research team identified bowel, thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, endometrial, mouth, breast and ovarian cancers as those showing increased rates among younger populations.
Bowel and breast cancers represent the most frequently diagnosed forms in younger adults, accounting for approximately 11,500 cases annually combined.
Notably, only bowel and ovarian cancers are rising exclusively in younger age groups, while the remaining nine are also increasing among older adults.
The scientists examined various lifestyle factors traditionally linked to cancer risk, including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, and dietary habits involving red meat and fibre.
All these indicators were either improving or remaining stable, ruling them out as explanations.
For bowel cancer specifically, researchers estimate that excess weight accounts for roughly 20 of every 100 additional cases, leaving 80 per cent without a clear explanation.
Prof Montserrat García Closas from the Institute of Cancer Research told the BBC: "It is very worrisome to hear the news that cancers are increasing in young people."
Bradley experienced numerous warning signs of bowel cancer
|JUSTGIVING
"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."
The researchers noted that while youth cancer rates are climbing, they remain far lower than those affecting older generations.
Approximately one in 1,000 individuals in their twenties, thirties and forties receive a cancer diagnosis annually, compared with roughly one in 100 among those aged fifty to seventy.
Prof Marc Gunter from Imperial College London acknowledged ongoing investigations into ultra-processed foods, PFAS chemicals and antibiotic use, but conceded there remains "a lot we don't know".
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