ISTANBUL

A new study suggests that the rise of early onset cancer types in US adults under 50 may be due to earlier and higher detection rates.

The study, published on Monday in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal, highlights that even though cancer types such as thyroid, kidney, small intestine, colorectum, endometrium, pancreas, and myeloma have doubled in incidence since 1992, much of the increase appears to reflect increased diagnostic scrutiny and overdiagnosis.

In cancers such as thyroid and kidney, overdiagnosis is well documented, according to the study, while in others early diagnosis may explain the trends, as mortality has not increased despite more diagnoses.

“While not among the fastest growing (0.6% per year), breast cancer remains the most common early-onset cancer, and despite rising diagnoses in women younger than 50 years, mortality has decreased by approximately half,” the study said.

Therefore, the study found that the rise in early-onset cancer incidence “does not consistently signal a rise in the occurrence of clinically meaningful cancer.”

While some of the increase in early-onset cancer is likely clinically meaningful, it appears small and limited to a few cancer sites, according to the study.