New Delhi, July 18 || Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are rising at alarming rates worldwide in adults younger than 50 years, according to two studies.
The first study, published in JAMA, showed that the surging cancer cases go beyond colorectal, and include gastric, oesophageal, and pancreatic.
"Colorectal cancer is the most common early-onset GI cancer worldwide, accounting for more than half of the cases, but it is not the only GI cancer that is rising in younger adults. Unfortunately, pancreatic, gastric, and oesophageal cancers are also increasing in young people," said Dr. Kimmie Ng, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the US.
"The rising incidence of early-onset GI cancers is alarming and underscores the need for enhanced prevention strategies and early detection methods," Ng added.
The second study, published in the British Journal of Surgery, showed that the number of newly diagnosed cases of early-onset GI cancers rose by 14.8 per cent between 2010 and 2019.
The study showed that the count of early-onset GI cases is highest in the oldest group -- people aged 40 to 49 -- but the rise in rates is progressively steeper in younger groups.