Castile and Leon studies rise in cancer incidence among people under 50

Castilla y León is working on a collaborative study to analyze cancer trends among young people in Spain after the past 49 years saw an increase in the incidence of certain types of cancer among people in their 20s. “This phenomenon has attracted the attention of the medical and scientific community, which is seeking to geographically characterize the problem, understand the causes and mechanisms of this increase and find effective solutions,” explain Ikalu from the ministry’s General Directorate of Public Health. health officials who believe the results will be released at the end of the year.

The Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (Redecan), to which the Castile and León Population Cancer Registry (RpcCyL) belongs, estimates that the total number of cancer cases in Spain will increase by 2.6 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. . Specifically, the total number of incidents is estimated to be 286,664 for 2024, with 161,678 in men and 124,986 in women. It is likely that this increase observed in the general population will also affect young people, a group that has traditionally had the lowest rates of cancer.

“To have scientific evidence of this possible increase, continuous and accurate cancer monitoring over long periods of time is needed to allow data collection and research to be conducted to better understand the reasons for the possible increase in cancer incidence in young people” and therefore to “ develop effective prevention strategies,” although the main ones are always a healthy lifestyle, the Mediterranean diet and the elimination of toxins such as alcohol, tobacco, and now overly sugary drinks.

Observing whether specific protocols are needed for this group is one of the goals of this study, which is carried out by the national network of Redecan registries, which, in addition to the registries of Castile and Leon, includes the registries of Asturias, Canary Islands, Castellon, Euskadi, Girona, Granada, La Rioja, Mallorca, Murcia, Navarre and Tarragona.

Offline map

The Castile and León Population Cancer Registry was launched in 2005 in the provinces of León, Soria and Valladolid and was gradually implemented in the rest of the Community, closing the card in 2010. For these reasons, it contains data only for the entire territory of the period 2011-2016, a six-year period, “a short period that does not allow the analysis of possible changes in cancer incidence among young people who, on the other hand, given the population pyramid of the community, represent a small percentage of the total tumors.

Specifically, according to these data, in Castile and León, four out of every 100,000 young men and seven out of every 100,000 young women suffer from cancer every year, excluding skin tumors other than melanoma. This means that 8.3 percent of cancers are diagnosed between ages 20 and 49, more often in women than men, and between ages 40 and 49.

In contrast to what happens in the general population, in young people cancer is more common in women than in men. This is five percent men and 13.7 percent women. And if among the male population the cancer with the highest incidence is prostate cancer, then in young people it is testicular cancer (12.2 percent of cases), followed by colon and rectal cancer (9.8 percent), with an incidence of 13 cancer cases testicles. and 10 cases of colorectal cancer per 100,000 people.

In young women, as in the rest of the population of this sex, the most common cancer is breast cancer (46.3 percent), thyroid cancer is second (9.7 percent), and in the group “For women in general” by second place is colorectal cancer. . This means that 88 out of every 100,000 young women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and 18 out of every 100,000 are diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

With the exception of testicular cancer, where the highest number of cases occurs between the ages of 30 and 39 years, the incidence of cancer increases with age, so that in young adults, 68.1% of tumors are diagnosed in people between 40 and 49 years of age; 24.2 percent among those 30 to 39 years old and 7.7 percent among those 20 to 29 years old.

Importance of records

Population-based cancer registries play a critical role in knowing the incidence, prevalence and trends of this disease in different regions and demographic groups. These are organized systems that collect, store and analyze information about all cases of cancer diagnosed in a geographically defined population.

Its main goal is to identify and count all new cases (incidents) of cancer, thereby providing an accurate understanding of the burden of the disease in society and, in doing so, “be able to identify specific prevention” and detection strategies. , depending on the needs of each group.