Cancer rates in Australians under 50 are rising at an alarming pace
5 days ago
- #environmental-health
- #early-onset-cancer
- #cancer-research
- Cancer rates in Australians under 50 are rising alarmingly, with significant increases in bowel, prostate, pancreatic, liver, uterine, and kidney cancers.
- Early onset cancer is increasing steeply, with Australia leading in bowel cancer rates among young adults (30-39 years).
- Scientists are investigating environmental and lifestyle factors, including obesity, microbiome changes, and exposure to synthetic chemicals and plastics, as potential causes.
- Research highlights the role of the exposome—environmental exposures affecting health—with projects like the Human Exposome Project aiming to understand these links.
- Childhood obesity, antibiotic use, ultra-processed foods, and C-section births may alter gut bacteria, increasing cancer risk.
- Exposure to harmful chemicals like PCBs and PFAS (forever chemicals) is linked to cancers, but many plastics chemicals remain untested for hazards.
- The ORIGINS project is studying the developmental origins of disease in children to uncover long-term health impacts of early-life exposures.
- Personal stories, like Chris Burton's battle with advanced bowel cancer at 39, highlight the emotional and physical toll of early onset cancer.