A new study has found that one in every ten teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer eventually faces its most severe form, as the disease returns and spreads to other parts of the body.
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Researchers at the University of California, Davis analyzed data from 48,400 patients aged 15 to 39 who were initially diagnosed with non-metastatic cancer. Over a follow-up period of around seven years, 9.5% of these patients experienced cancer spreading to other areas.
The results showed that sarcoma—a rare cancer affecting connective tissues—and colon cancer were the most likely to recur and metastasize among the seven cancer types included in the study. The researchers believe that the difficulty of treating these cancers contributes to their high recurrence rate, even after patients enter a stable condition.
Dr. Anne Brunson, the study’s lead author and an analyst at the University of California, said that improved survival rates among young patients present new challenges. She noted that analyzing extensive statewide data helps in understanding recurrence patterns and guiding future research.
This study is the first of its kind to examine cancer recurrence in young people on such a large scale. The research relied on data from the California Cancer Registry, covering cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2018 with melanoma, sarcoma, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, testicular cancer, and thyroid cancer.
The average patient age was 33, with women representing 67% of the participants. Those aged 30–39 made up about 60% of the sample, compared to 28% in the 20–29 group and 4% in the 15–19 group.
Thyroid cancer was the most common at 28.5%, followed by breast cancer (25%), testicular cancer (14.5%), and skin cancer (13%). Sarcoma was the least common (4.5%).
However, sarcoma accounted for 24.5% of cases where the cancer returned and spread, followed by colon cancer (22%), cervical cancer (16%), and breast cancer (15%). Patients diagnosed at an advanced stage—particularly stage three—were more likely to experience recurrence, with rates exceeding 30% across the cancer types.
The study found that patients whose cancer returned and metastasized were three times more likely to die. Mortality risk doubled—or increased by up to 1.5 times—among those with cervical, skin, sarcoma, or colon cancers. No increase in mortality risk was recorded for testicular or thyroid cancer patients upon recurrence.
Although cancer is rare among young people—about 80,000 Americans aged 20 to 39 are diagnosed annually, representing only 4% of all cases—its incidence has risen in recent years. A study published in May showed an increase in 14 types of cancer among those under 50, most notably colon and breast cancer.
The causes of this rise remain unclear, with doctors attributing it to a combination of factors including obesity, inactivity, microbiome disruptions, and environmental toxins—though none provide a complete explanation for the disease’s emergence in otherwise healthy and fit individuals.
Daily Mail
