In Good Health: Cancer patients are getting diagnosed younger. Why?

WAMU 88.5 | By Lauren Hamilton, Michael Falero

Published January 24, 2024 at 10:42 AM EST

A patient receives a checkup from a doctor at the South Broward Community Health Services clinic in Hollywood, Florida.

Anumber of studiesin the past few years have shown that cancer rates in the U.S. and around the world are rising for younger people.

While the majority of cancer patients are still over the age of 65, the share of cancer patients between the ages of 50 and 64 and under 50 represent a growing share of cancer diagnoses.

Researchers have noted in particularhigher ratesof breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers, beginning as recently as three decades ago.

We speak with researchers who’ve studied this rise in cancer diagnoses and clinicians who treat cancer every day.