Cancers increasing among those younger than fifty warrant investigation to discern causes, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Eight different cancers are increasing among those younger than fifty in the US, data since 1992 indicate. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says thyroid, colorectal and endometrial or uterine are included in that number, with a number of culprits being scrutinized.

Nelson: What’s the cause of it? Toxins in the environment that are promoting these cancers, is this related to the obesity epidemic, changes in the microbiome, diets that are heavy in ultra processed food, microplastics. We need to figure it out. Is this spike in cancer diagnosis in young people related to more deaths? In other words are these dangerous cancers or are these cancers that may behave in ways that are not as aggressive. The notion that they might actually in fact even be over diagnosis and so they looked at 3 decades worth of trends and it looks like they are not tied to increased deaths.   :33

Nelson says the observation that death isn’t increased may suggest conservative management. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.