2010 to 2019 saw increase in incidence of early-onset cancers in U.S.

From 2010 to 2019, the incidence rates of early-onset cancers increased, with gastrointestinal cancers having the fastest-growing incidence rates, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in JAMA Network Open.

Benjamin Koh, from the National University of Singapore, and colleagues characterized patterns in the incidence of early-onset cancers (younger than 50 years) in the United States from 2010 through 2019 in a population-based cohort study including data from 17 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries. Data were included for 562,145 patients with early-onset cancer; age-standardized incidence rates were extracted per 100,000 people.

The researchers found that the age-standardized incidence rate of early-onset cancers increased overall from 2010 to 2019 (annual percentage change [APC], 0.28 percent) and among women (APC, 0.67 percent) but decreased in men (APC, −0.37 percent). In contrast, during the study period, the age-standardized incidence rate of cancers decreased in individuals aged 50 years and older (APC, −0.87 percent). The highest number of incident cases of early-onset cancer were in the breast in 2019 (12,649 cases). Among all early-onset cancer groups, gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates from 2010 to 2019 (APC, 2.16 percent). The appendix, intrahepatic bile duct, and pancreas had the fastest-growing incidence rates (APCs, 15.61, 8.12, and 2.53 percent, respectively) among gastrointestinal cancers.

“While breast cancer had the highest number of incident cases, gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancers,” the authors write. “These data may have implications for the development of surveillance strategies and funding priorities.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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