Key Points
- Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis has led some people to wonder if cancer rates among young people are on the rise.
- Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows which cancers are most prominent in people under 50.
- Experts warn no one is too young to get cancer and early detection is key to a better outcome.
Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis has shone a spotlight on early-onset cancers, particularly in people under the age of 50.
Kate, 42, in an emotional video message on Saturday.
Kensington Palace has not released details about what type of cancer Kate has, but the news has prompted a wider discussion about young people and cancer.
Experts have told SBS News that cancer does not discriminate based on age.
Has there been a rise in young people getting cancer?
2021 data from the federal government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows a 10.5 per cent increase in cancer rates for Australians aged 25 to 49 between 1999 and 2019.
Ian Olver, adjunct professor in Adelaide University’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, said there has been an increase in certain cancers.
He listed bowel cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and kidney and uterine cancers as of particular concern for adults aged under 50.
Analysis over the 20 years from 1999 shows kidney cancer has increased 51 per cent, uterine cancer 45 per cent, colorectal cancer 42 per cent and breast cancer 10 per cent for people aged 25 to 49.
Olver said in some instances people under 50 were being diagnosed with more aggressive cancers than older people, but that further evidence was required.
What is the fastest-growing cancer among young people?
Olver said bowel cancer or colorectal cancer presented the most significant change.
“In young people, we used to get things like testicular cancers and melanomas and things like that,” he said.
“We see a decrease in some of those things. But in bowel cancer, because we are seeing a deterioration in diet and an increase in obesity, both of which are risk factors, we are seeing more of a change in that type of cancer than in some of the others.”
AIHW data shows colorectal cancer jumped 141 per cent for Australians aged 20 to 39 in the 20 years since 1999.
Across all age groups, the most commonly diagnosed cancer for males remains prostate cancer and for women, it is breast cancer.
In 2023, the AIHW said prostate cancer accounted for 28 per cent of male cancers and breast cancer 28 per cent of female cancers diagnosed.
What’s behind the changes?
Daniel Kolarich, principal research leader at the Australian Centre for Cancer Glycomics at Griffith University, said life has changed a lot in the last 40 years but the answers weren’t clear cut.
“In terms of the way that the speed of life, the stress factors that essentially people are having,” he told SBS News.
“Nutrition plays a big role, especially when we’re talking about intestinal cancers or the colon for example.”
He said scientists were still looking at the microbiome within the human body, for example, the colon, to see whether it promoted certain cancers.
Kolarich said there was no clear indicator for cancer but things like genetic background, family history, and lifestyle choices inform whether you’re at higher risk for certain cancers.
No one is too young for cancer
Olver said although screening programs were geared towards people over the age of 50, anyone can get cancer.
“The message to younger people is basically that you can get these cancers in the younger age groups,” he said.
“So if a symptom persists, like changes in bowel habits for example, or you’re worried about the feel of your breast, get it checked out.
“Don’t say, ‘Oh, I’m too young to get cancer’ because clearly you’re not,” he said, adding young people shouldn’t panic.
Cancer accounts for three of every 10 deaths in Australia, according to the AIHW.
Both experts stressed early diagnosis and treatment were key to achieving a good outcome.
