Obesity-linked cancer cases rising among young and older adults, Study finds - Video

Cancer rates linked to obesity may be rising not only among younger adults but across all age groups worldwide, according to a new global analysis. The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine by researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London, found that several obesity-related cancers-including thyroid, breast, kidney, endometrial, and leukemia, have increased significantly in both adults aged 20–49 and those over 50. The findings suggest that the causes behind these rising trends may extend beyond youth-specific factors, highlighting a broader global health concern.

Obesity has long been identified as a key risk factor for many cancers through mechanisms involving inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and metabolic dysfunction. The researchers noted that while much attention has recently focused on rising cancer rates among younger adults, the data now show comparable growth among older populations as well. This indicates that shared environmental and lifestyle exposures, such as diet, inactivity, and obesity, may be driving cancer incidence across age groups, not just among the young.

The team analyzed global cancer incidence trends between 2003 and 2017, using data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN database. The analysis covered 42 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Australasia. Annual incidence rates for various cancers were compared across two age groups: 20–49 years and 50 years and above. Researchers focused particularly on cancers strongly related to obesity: thyroid, breast, kidney, endometrial, and leukemia. Temporal changes were then evaluated to identify consistent global patterns over time.

Incidence rates for the five obesity-related cancers increased in more than three-quarters of the countries studied among younger adults, and similarly rose among older adults. Endometrial and kidney cancers showed the strongest association with obesity across both groups.

Notably, colorectal cancer rose faster among younger adults in about 70 percent of the countries, while cancers of the liver, stomach, and esophagus declined in younger populations. The researchers concluded that shared global risk factors, such as obesity and changing environmental exposures, may be driving similar cancer patterns in both younger and older adults worldwide.

REFERENCE: Berrington de Gonzalez, Amy, Brayley, Martina, Frost, Reuben, Freedman, Neal, Gunter, Marc J., Jackson, Isobel, Lapitan, Patricia, Shiels, Meredith S.; Trends in Cancer Incidence in Younger and Older Adults; Annals of Internal Medicine; 2025; doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-02718