Kate Middleton – now Catherine, Princess of Wales – It was announced on Monday In a video message that she has completed chemotherapy for a cancer diagnosis she first released in March. He said he would resume some public events, though engagement is expected to be limited until the end of the year.
“My focus right now is doing what I can to stay cancer free,” the princess wrote in a post shared on X. It comes.”
She was diagnosed with cancer after doctors operated on her stomach and discovered evidence of the disease.
Kensington Palace did not release details about what type of cancer the princess had or what stage the cancer was at when it was found. But as a 42-year-old woman, Middleton is far from alone in her diagnosis: Worldwide, more and more people under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer usually attacks people in their 50s, 60s or older. Yet, in recent decades, early-onset cancers—which are usually defined as occurring in patients younger than 50 years—are occurring at high rates, particularly in wealthy countries. As illustrated in the chart below, a 2023 BMJ Analysis It found that the early onset of 29 different cancers increased by nearly 80 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2019.
separately, A study has been published JAMA Network Open The same year concluded that the overall incidence of cancer among people under 50 increased between 2010 and 2019 among American adults, particularly among women.
Most of the increase is attributable to colon and rectal cancer: In 2019, there were about 5.7 cases of colorectal cancer per 100,000 people aged 14 to 49. That’s up 63 percent from 1990, when there were about 3.5 cases per 100,000 people. Breast, cervical and skin cancers are still most likely to occur in adults under the age of 50, but individual cases of colorectal cancer claim the lives of famous celebrities such as actors. Chadwick Boseman In 2020, recent years have made that trend more visible
Cancers of the bladder, kidney, ovary, pancreas, prostate, thyroid and uterus have also become significantly more common over nearly three decades, according to a global investigation published in BMJ.
John Marshall, director of Georgetown University’s Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer, told me recently that, early in his career, he rarely saw patients younger than 50. Today, half of his patients are in that age range, many seeming healthy and fit. At first, these younger patients usually developed colorectal cancer, but Marshall increasingly saw younger people developing cancers in other parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
No single factor can be attributed to this massive increase in numerous cancers among young people, especially the growth of the gastrointestinal system, but scientists are beginning to piece together a picture of the reality behind one of the most important medical mysteries of our time.
one Review published Frontiers in nutrition 2022 found that many dietary factors were associated with early-onset colorectal cancer. Consuming large amounts of fried and processed foods, fatty foods and sugary drinks and desserts was a significant risk factor, as was a diet low in fiber. Other studies have shown that the risk of developing cancer increases with higher alcohol consumption.
Toxic substances in our environment, such as microplastics, may also be a contributing factor. These tiny particles can be found in everything from food containers to synthetic clothing before entering our bodies and our GI tract.
A New Zealand research team Conclusion The increase in cancer among young adults matches the timeline we would expect from the proliferation of microplastics in the environment. Cellular and rodent models have suggested that microplastics may promote tumor growth. Although more research is needed, these materials contain chemicals that can disrupt hormones and pose risks to our health.
But these are still theories. Scientists still don’t fully understand what’s driving early cancers in the first place. What we do know is that stories like Middleton’s are becoming all too common.
Update, September 9, 12:55 pm ET: This story was originally published on March 22 and has been updated to reflect new information about Kate Middleton’s health status.
