Princess Catherine, who revealed on Friday that she's battling the big C, is just 42 years old
People in their 30s and 40s – the ones who seem too young and healthy – are now being diagnosed with cancer, a disease that is often associated with age.
This observation again came into light as the 42-year-old Kate, Princess of Wales, said on Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, following her hospitalisation in January for an unspecified abdominal surgery.
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One of the most common risk factors for cancer is age — with the average age of diagnosis at 68 years old. Recent studies, however, have revealed a dramatic increase in cancer among adults younger than 50.
In the UAE, breast cancer, thyroid cervical cancer and colorectal cancer are the common types of cancer, Dr Sara Al Bastaki, colorectal surgeon at Mediclinic Dubai, told Khaleej Times.
She also underscored 22 per cent of the UAE ’s colorectal cancer patients are below 40 years old.
This is the same trend around the world as more than a dozen type of cancer are reportedly increasing among adults aged 50 and below. In the US, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death among men under 50, while it has become the second leading cause of cancer death among American women.
Although the rise varies from country to country and the type of cancer, experts say the number of early-onset cancer will increase by around 30 per cent until 2030.
According to one study, 14 million people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year; and about 300,000 of them are children or adolescents below 19 years old.
Dr Al Bastaki enumerated the following factors that contribute to having cancer at a young age.
Although the incidence of cancer has increased among younger people, there has been a decline in deaths owing to cancer, thanks to new treatment options as well as increased early screening and decreasing rates of smoking.
Early screening is actively promoted in the UAE, noted Dr Al Bastaki. “We are one of the first countries around the world to start early screening of breast cancer and colorectal cancer at the age of 40,” she highlighted.
The American Cancer Society urged people to be screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45, rather than the previous recommendation of 50.
Globally, experts and advocates are pushing for early screening. High-profile cases — such as the untimely death of popular American actor Chadwick Boseman, who passed away from colon cancer at the age of 43 in 2020 — are prompting many to take precautionary steps.
Dr Al Bastaki gave the following advice:
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Angel Tesorero is Assistant Editor and designated funny guy in the newsroom, but dead serious about writing on transport, labour migration, and environmental issues. He's a food lover too.