A disturbing map has revealed an alarming rise in cancers among young Australians as experts warn the number of diagnoses is only rising.
Australia has the world’s highest cancer rate among people under 50, with 135 cases per 100,000 people, World Bank data shows.
New Zealand has the second highest rate, with 119 cases per 100,000 people.
Although skin cancer remains the most common cancer in Australia, it is not the type that is seeing an increase in detections among younger demographics.
Cancers contributing largely to rising rates among people in their 30s are colorectal (colon) and thyroid cancer.
For Australians aged 40, it was thyroid cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and kidney cancer.
Cancer continues to be more common in older ages: it is estimated that in 2024, 88 percent of diagnosed cancers will occur in people aged 50 or older, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
But cancer rates among young people are rising and up to 20,000 people under the age of 50 are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
Although skin cancer remains the most common cancer in Australia, it is not the type that is seeing an increase in detections among younger demographics (map shown)
People between 30 and 49 years old are especially at risk, accounting for 84 percent of cases.
However, there was some good news. Over the past 24 years, cancer death rates among people ages 30 to 40 have been steadily declining.
From 2000 to 2024, deaths fell from 60 to 37 per 100,000 people among people in their 40s and from 18 to 12 per 100,000 among those in their 30s.
A Cancer Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the early onset of the disease was an “emerging issue of global concern”.
“Recent studies have shown increasing rates of certain cancers in adults under 50 years of age in many countries, including Australia,” they said.
Cancers contributing largely to rising rates among people in their 30s are colorectal and thyroid cancer (file image)
‘The causes of early-onset cancers are complex and likely involve a number of contributing factors, including changes in recent decades in lifestyle, diet, obesity, environmental exposures and other factors.
“However, more research is needed to better understand the specific drivers of this trend.”
The spokesperson said if caught early, more than 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully and urged Australians to take advantage of the National Bowel Cancer Detection Program.
People ages 45 to 74 can take a free at-home test every two years.
A recent study that attempted to identify the rise in colon cancers among young people suggested it could be due to an increase in “accelerated aging.”
These patients have a biological age greater than their chronological age, which is due to a combination of lifestyles such as diet and alcohol consumption, and environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals.
Non-melanoma skin cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, with more than one million treatments administered each year.
The second most common cancers are prostate and breast cancer, with around 24,000 and 20,000 diagnosed each year, respectively.
Fourth is melanoma, with 17,700 Australians diagnosed each year.