Cancer rates on the rise in young people

Cases of cancer among young people in Northern England have risen by a quarter since the 1960s, but patients are much more likely to survive, a new study shows.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne also found that young men were 20 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than young women and in general did not respond as well to treatment.

Cases of Testicular cancer and malignant Melanoma (skin cancer) doubled over the 30-year period covered by the study, which could be due to changes in environment and lifestyle.

Young women in particular were more likely to get malignant melanoma.

In contrast certain other types of cancer, such as Hodgkin's disease and some central nervous system tumours, decreased in frequency.

The Northern Region study had corresponding patterns in terms of the incidence and types of cancer when compared to other similar studies in the UK and Europe.

The statistics and analyses are published for the first time in the academic journal, Pediatric Blood and Cancer.

Researchers examined data on cancer in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 years-old living in Northern England from 1968-1997, the most recent figures available for analysis at the time of the study. Northern England comprises Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham, Cumbria (excluding Barrow in Furness), and the area formerly known as Cleveland.
The study found that, in this group:

• Rates of cancer in 15-24 year olds in Northern England had increased significantly from 161 cases per million per year in 1968-1972 to 202 per million per year in 1993-1997.
  
• Over the 30-year study period, there were on average 190 cases per million per year for men, and 157 per million per year for women.
  
• Cases of testicular cancer and malignant melanoma respectively rose from 11.9 and 13.3 cases per million per year in 1968-72 to 22.4 and 25.1 in 1993-1997. Researchers found smaller increases in cases of thyroid and bone cancer.
  
• Statistics on patients' survival rates after five years from diagnosis showed that 45 per cent survived in 1968-77 compared with 62 per cent in 1978-87 and 74 per cent in 1988-97.
  
• Five-year overall survival rates were significantly better over the 30 year period for young women than young men, at 65 per cent compared to 57 per cent.
  
• The most common cancers in young adults were Hodgkin's Disease; carcinomas (ie, thyroid cancer); central nervous system tumours, germ cell tumours and leukaemia.