Cancer before age 50 is increasing in Nigeria – Experts

A new U.S. government study that provides the most complete picture yet of early-onset cancers, defined as cancer diagnosed before age 50, has reported that the largest increase are in breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine cancers.

Scientists from the National Cancer Institute said that about 63% of early-onset cancers occurred in women, based on their analysis of data including more than 2 million cancers diagnosed in people aged 15 to 49 between 2010 and 2019.

The findings were published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, and added that of 33 cancer types, 14 cancers had increased rates in at least one younger age group.

According to them, breast cancer made up the largest share of the excess cancers, with about 4,800 additional cases.

There were 2,000 more colorectal cancers compared with what would be expected based on the 2010 rates. There were 1,800 more kidney cancers and 1,200 additional uterine cancers.

In addition, death rates were not rising for most cancers in the young adult age groups, although increasing death rates were seen for colorectal, uterine and testicular cancers.

The study’s lead author, Meredith Shiels of the National Cancer Institute, in a reaction, said several of these cancer types are known to be associated with excess body weight, and so one of the leading hypotheses is increasing rates of obesity.

Professor of Radiation Oncology at the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan, Adeniyi Adenipekun, in a reaction, said early-onset cancers are also being seen in Nigeria.

“A few decades ago, cancer was mostly seen in older age groups, usually the 6th decade of life, but in recent times, between the 3rd and 5th decades of life, we now see breast, colorectal, lung, liver and prostate cancers,” he added.

Professor Adenipekun said it is unfortunate that these cases of early-onset cancers tend to be more aggressive.

According to him, “For instance, in breast cases, we see more of triple-negative, which is more aggressive in younger age groups.”

The don linked the severity of these early-onset cancers to many factors, including genetics, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcoholism, and a diet lacking fibre.

Professor Adenipekun, therefore, suggested aggressive programmes for public enlightenment, screening and early treatment.

According to him, “Treatment can be expensive; hence government support through the National Health Insurance Scheme and Cancer Health Fund can ameliorate catastrophic expenditure experienced by most families.”

Dr Bolaji Lateef Salako, a consultant radiation and clinical oncologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, explained that cancer often begins silently, developing at a microscopic level long before any symptoms appear or awareness arises, and this hidden phase is why the principles of screening and early detection are so essential.

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Salako declared although not all cancers can be discovered in their earliest stages, many can—and doing so significantly increases the chances of effective treatment and even prevention.

He declared, “Catching cancer at this early, sometimes “unset” stage not only improves clinical outcomes but also builds public trust in cancer care and management.”

Detecting cancer in these initial phases, sometimes even before it is formally classified as cancer, can be life-saving.

Early detection efforts aim to identify disease at what might be called the “preclinical” stage—before it has progressed or caused harm.”

Dr Salako stated that the early warning signs of cancer can take several forms, and that is what precise cancer screening is designed to uncover through tools such as mammography, colonoscopy, and HPV testing, long before symptoms surface.

“Screening doesn’t just save lives—it empowers people with knowledge and the opportunity to act early. It is a cornerstone of modern cancer prevention and care,” he said.

Advances in cancer detection and changes in screening guidelines could be behind some early diagnoses.

For breast cancer, the trend toward women having a first child at older ages is a possible explanation. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are known to reduce risk.

This isn’t happening across the board. Cancer rates in people under 50 are going down for more than a dozen types of cancer, with the largest declines in lung and prostate cancers.

Cigarette smoking has been declining for decades, which likely accounts for the drop in lung cancer among younger adults.

The drop in prostate cancer is likely tied to updated guidelines discouraging routine PSA testing in younger men because of concerns about overtreatment.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE