Today’s youth could be three times more at risk of eventually acquiring cancer than their grandparents were.

Although, cancer is less common in adolescents and young adults than in older people but present scenario is exploding the stereotypical ‘myths’ regarding the disease.

Cancers such as colorectal, thyroid and testicular are rising in people under 40 years of age and is a leading cause of morbidity, disability even death.

Statistically:

1. U.S. mortality and incidence statistics for nasopharyngeal cancer showed a fourfold excess risk of sarcomas in white children under age 10, and a fourfold to sevenfold excess of carcinomas in teen-age blacks.

2. Cancer among 13 to 24 year olds is increasing by an average of 1.2% every year.

3. 10,000 young adults were diagnosed with cancer in Canada alone.

4. Cancer survival rates continued to improve in adults of middle age and older but the survival rates for people ages 15 to 39 had not risen substantially in more than two decades.

5. In 2006, there were approximately 55,200 new cases of cancer in Americans 15 to 39, and 9,300 cancer deaths in that same group.

Now the question arises, why the rates of some cancers are rising in this age group?

One reason that cancer may not be caught in its early stages is that neither the physician nor younger patients expect cancer to be a health problem.

Young people aged 13-24 are often not considered by doctors to be at risk of cancer and are consequently diagnosed late. Also, few specialist services exist for this age group, and less than 1% of patients take part in clinical trials, compared with some 60-70% of younger children who get cancer.

In addition, young people’s tumors may have distinct genetic and biological features. And survivors face unique psychosocial issues like future fertility, finishing school or starting a career.

It has also been reported that they are more likely to feel stigmatized, since fewer of their peers have had experience with cancer.

Cancer and AIDS:

As more people with AIDS survive longer, many are confronting yet another serious health problem: Cancer.

The array of cancers is broadening in mysterious ways, once rare cancers are appearing more often. Like everyone else, people with AIDS can develop any kind of cancer. And to a doctor, a slide of a specific tumor looks the same under a microscope, regardless of whether it came from a person infected with HIV.

If scientists can identify protective mechanisms and other viruses that help produce HIV-related tumors, then they can target them in developing new strategies to prevent Burkitt’s and other cancers. For example, several scientists reported using such an approach in treating Epstein-Barr-related lymphomas.

Urgent need:

The respective governments must ask the health authorities to initiate certain provisions that would target people of this age group and instruct them to meet their responsibilities.

The government must also use its power to compel the pharmaceutical industry to develop trials for young cancer patients.

Bottom line:

It is seriously worrisome to see how the tentacles of cancer are engulfing the younger generation. I guess parents would have to become more involved with the lives of their children.

Since, lifestyle is also one of the causes, which might lead to the problem, since, the average parent’s denial in playing an active part in raising the awareness of child in their own health.

After all, 43% of cancer cases can be prevented through healthy lifestyles established in childhood.

However, there are other factors also that target the disease, like, environment, diet or food habits and fertilizers. Even the cosmetics, which the people are applying, may lead to it, for instance, various kinds of skin cancers are emerging out of it.