Your 20s and 30s are considered a time of self-exploration and discovery – a period to build new relationships, find your passion, establish a career, travel the world, and enjoy the beginnings of adulthood.
But in recent years, the rise of cancer in young adults has had many people hitting the brakes on future plans in favor of finding hope in the present.
Referred to as “early-onset” cancers, these cancers are being diagnosed more frequently in adults between the ages of 18 and 49…
But the question is, why?
Why are cancers, in which a top risk factor is aging, affecting the younger population?
Why is Cancer Increasing in Young Adults?
Since 1995, cancer diagnoses have been on the rise in people aged 18 to 49, steadily increasing by one to two percent every year. Unfortunately, at least 14 types of cancers have been rising in this age bracket, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, statistics released in January of this year found cancer incidence rates in women under 50 are now 82% higher than their male counterparts, up from 51% in 2002.
Early-onset colorectal cancer is becoming the leading cause of cancer deaths among young adults in the United States – a disease that doesn’t recommend regular screenings until age 45.
So, what’s behind the rise in early-onset cancers? Researchers are still uncertain.
Various studies indicate different factors at play in increasing the risk of cancer in young adults, from obesity and heavy alcohol consumption to environmental factors and the health of your gut microbiome.
According to the National Cancer Institute, many causes could contribute to the rise of early-onset cancers.
“For many of these [factors], there’s no strong epidemiological evidence that they’re [individually] linked to early-onset cancers.”
As research continues to attempt to answer the question of “why” regarding early-onset cancers, the time of uncertainty remains between young adults and their healthcare.
What Types of Cancer Are On the Rise?
While cancer deaths are, thankfully, falling, new cases are steadily on the rise, growing from 1.9 million in 2022 to over 2 million the following year.
The American Cancer Society’s annual report discovered that the increase in overall cancer incidence was found in younger adults, the only age group with an increase between 1995 and 2020.
The annual report found the increases in cancer incidences were for the following types of cancers:
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Gastric (stomach) cancer
One study in particular, published in BMJ Oncology, predicts that cancer among those between the ages of 18 and 49 will increase by 30% globally from 2019 to 2030.
So What Should a Young Adult Actually Do?
This is where most articles pivot to a product. We are going to give you the useful answer first, because it is the one that changes outcomes.
Know the colorectal screening age has changed. Guidelines now recommend starting at 45 for people at average risk, down from 50. Early-onset colorectal cancer is the fastest-rising of these cancers, and a large share of people in their forties do not realise they are already eligible. If you have a family history, screening starts earlier still, so ask.
Do not sit on symptoms because you are young. This is the single biggest problem in early-onset cancer. Rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, a lump, or abdominal pain that will not settle deserve investigation at 32 exactly as they would at 62. Young patients are more often reassured and sent away, and diagnostic delay is a documented driver of worse outcomes in this group. If your symptoms persist and you are not satisfied, ask again or seek a second opinion.
Keep to the screening you are eligible for. Cervical screening and, where applicable, breast screening have real mortality evidence behind them.
If cancer runs in your family, ask about genetic counselling rather than booking a scan. That pathway is covered in our article on genetic predisposition.
Can an MRI Detect Cancer in Young Adults?
It can detect abnormalities, and we should be careful about the difference.
A whole-body MRI images the brain, neck, chest, abdomen, spine and pelvis with no radiation and no contrast dye. It can find a mass, a cyst or an enlarged lymph node nobody was looking for. What it cannot do is confirm that something is cancer, which needs tissue, and it does not cover the cancers rising fastest in this age group particularly well. It cannot see the colon, which rules out the leading one. It is limited in the lungs. It does not assess the breasts.
We are also not going to claim we catch tumours at stage 0 or stage 1. Stage 0 disease is generally microscopic and not visible on any scan, and no study has shown that whole-body MRI screening of asymptomatic people shifts the stage at which cancers are found or improves survival. The American College of Radiology does not currently recommend total body screening for people without symptoms, risk factors or a relevant family history.
It is also worth knowing that screening young, healthy people produces a high proportion of findings that turn out to be nothing, and those still need following up.
Where We Fit
If your screening is current, you have acted on any symptoms, and you want a broad structural baseline while you are young and well, that is a legitimate reason to scan and we are glad to provide it. A baseline in your thirties is genuinely useful for comparison later.
What it is not is a reason to delay seeing a doctor about something that is bothering you. Schedule a scan or talk to our team first and we will be straight with you.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why is cancer rising in young adults?
Researchers do not yet know. Diagnoses in people aged 18 to 49 have risen steadily since 1995, and at least 14 cancer types are increasing in this bracket including colorectal, breast, gastric, pancreatic and thyroid. Candidate factors include obesity, alcohol, environmental exposures and the gut microbiome, but the National Cancer Institute notes there is no strong epidemiological evidence linking any single one of them to early-onset cancers.
At what age should I start colorectal cancer screening?
45 for people at average risk, lowered from 50. This matters because early-onset colorectal cancer is the fastest-rising of these cancers and many people in their forties do not realise they are already eligible. If you have a family history, screening starts earlier, so ask your doctor.
Can a whole-body MRI catch cancer at stage 0 or 1?
We will not claim that. Stage 0 disease is generally microscopic and not visible on any scan, and no study has shown that whole-body MRI screening of asymptomatic people shifts the stage at which cancers are found or improves survival. The American College of Radiology does not currently recommend total body screening for people without symptoms or risk factors.
Does a whole-body MRI cover the cancers rising in young adults?
Not the main ones. It cannot see the colon, which rules out early-onset colorectal cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in this age group. It is limited in the lungs and does not assess the breasts. It can find a mass, cyst or enlarged lymph node elsewhere, but confirming cancer requires tissue.
I am young and have symptoms. What should I do?
Get them investigated, and do not let your age be a reason to wait. Rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, a lump, or abdominal pain that will not settle deserve investigation at 32 exactly as at 62. Young patients are more often reassured and sent away, and diagnostic delay is a documented driver of worse outcomes in this group. If symptoms persist, ask again or seek a second opinion.
Sources
- Trends in Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates in Early-Onset and Older-Onset Age Groups in the United States
- Colorectal Cancer: Screening
- Cancer Facts & Figures 2025
- ACR Statement on Screening Total Body MRI
- Global trends in incidence, death, burden and risk factors of early-onset cancer from 1990 to 2019
