Princess Catherine’s announcement Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer at age 42 makes her part of a troubling trend in which there’s a rising rate of early onset cancer among young adults.
In fact, people under age 50 were the only one of three adult age groups with an increase in overall cancer incidence from 1995 to 2020, the American Cancer Society said in a January report.
The phenomenon has left public health experts and researchers searching for answers — and calling for expedited cancer screenings and increased awareness among young people about their potential risks.
“The data has been showing for the last several years there’s been an increase in cancers we don’t usually see in young people,” including colorectal, cervical, breast and endometrial cancers, says Neil Maniar, director of Northeastern University’s Master of Public Health Program.
