The number of cancers in people aged twenty to forty-nine is increasing, and scientists are looking for an explanation. According to new research, not only obesity can play a role, but also ultra-processed foods, the so-called “eternal chemicals” PFAS and antibiotics.
Experts from the London Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London analyzed data from England between 2001 and 2019 and compared it with data from 2023. Eleven types of cancer have been shown to increase among younger adults, including breast, colon, thyroid, liver and pancreatic cancer. Around 31,000 cases were diagnosed in 2023, with almost two-thirds being women.
“Although BMI remains our best indicator of why cancer is increasing in this age group, it is still largely unexplained. It suggests that multiple factors are at work simultaneously, including early-life influences.” Professor Montserrat García-Closas said in an interview with The Mail.
Scientists caution that weight gain alone does not explain the entire trend. Suspicion also points to ultra-processed foods, which make up a large part of the normal diet, to PFAS chemicals used, for example, in non-stick cookware, clothing or food packaging, but also for excessive use of antibiotics.
“The changes we’re seeing in cancer incidence have no single cause or simple explanation. It’s possible that changes in the gut microbiome—potentially caused by ultra-processed foods, PFAS, and the increased use of antibiotics in the 1970s—may explain some of these trends.” said Professor Marc Gunter from Imperial College London. At the same time, the authors of the study point out that some traditional risk factors, such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, are less frequent among young people than among previous generations.
