Are cancers under 50 rising in the US?
In 562,145 early-onset SEER cases (2010–2019), overall incidence rose (APC 0.28%), led by gastrointestinal cancers (APC 2.16%), while ≥50 incidence fell.
Source
Patterns in Cancer Incidence Among People Younger Than 50 Years in the US, 2010 to 2019
What they did
Used SEER registries to compute age-standardized incidence rates and Joinpoint APCs for cancers diagnosed before age 50 from 2010 to 2019, contrasting sex and site patterns and older-adult trends.
What they found
Early-onset incidence increased overall and in females but decreased in males; cancers ≥50 declined (APC −0.87%). Breast had the most 2019 early-onset cases (n=12,649). GI cancers grew fastest (APC 2.16%), especially appendix (15.61%), intrahepatic bile duct (8.12%), and pancreas (2.53%).
The limits
What it doesn't show
Incidence trends do not identify causes (screening, risk factors, coding); APC ≠ individual risk prediction.
Key terms
- Early-onset cancer
- Cancer diagnosed before age 50 in this study.
- SEER
- US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries.
- APC
- Annual percentage change in age-standardized incidence.
- Joinpoint regression
- Method used to estimate incidence trend APCs.
- Age-standardized rate
- Incidence adjusted to a standard age structure for comparison.
Flashcards
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Quiz yourself
Early-onset cases in the cohort:
Common questions
How many early-onset cases?
562,145 (2010–2019).
Overall APC?
0.28% (95% CI 0.09–0.47).
Fastest group?
Gastrointestinal cancers (APC 2.16%).
Most 2019 cases site?
Breast (n=12,649).