NHS HIGHLAND: Why is there a rise in cancer diagnoses among people under the age of 50?
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Cancer has been in the headlines recently. The King is being treated for cancer and the Duchess of Rothesay made a public announcement that she was diagnosed with cancer which was detected early in connection with abdominal surgery.
It would be entirely inappropriate and intrusive to speculate on the type of cancers with which they have been diagnosed and there has been some wild speculation about the health of the Princess of Wales.
It is though helpful to consider cancers; the news from members of the royal family has helped to highlight the importance of cancer diagnosis, especially early diagnosis. This is in sharp contrast with how cancer was considered in the past, whether the secrecy surrounding King George VI’s lung cancer or avoiding the use of the word cancer at all both for patients and relatives.
Around one in two of us will now develop cancer at some time in our lives and there has been recent concern about the rise in cancer diagnoses among people under the age of 50. The reasons for this rise are not yet clear and it is unlikely that there is one simple cause, although aspects of modern life such as obesity and changes in diet may have contributed.
However, the good news is that many cancers can be completely cleared from our bodies, especially if diagnosed early. One of the reasons why we can talk more easily about cancer is that treatments have radically improved.
Cancer is not a single disease, rather it is made up of many different conditions where cells in the body grow in an uncontrolled way in one place or around the body. Removing the cancer early is the most effective treatment.
Sometimes it is possible to identify cells that might turn into cancer before that happens and so prevent cancer developing in the first place. Cervical screening aims to do that. The three cancer screening programmes, for bowel, breast and cervical cancers are important ways to identify early cancer or the risk of cancer.
They are based on solid evidence of effectiveness, and I encourage you to find out more about the programmes and take up the offer of screening.
Cancer screening is designed for people who do not have any symptoms and detects hidden disease. If we have symptoms that suggest the possibility of cancer, then we should not wait for screening but should seek professional help. Just as there are various types of cancer, there are various symptoms that could point to cancer.
In many cases these are symptoms that last longer than usual such as a cough lasting more than three weeks or unexplained symptoms such as weight loss or a change in the way bowels are working.
Resources such as NHS Inform can provide helpful information and give advice on when it is right to see your GP. Now that we can talk about cancer more easily it is also important to take action too. Then we can get early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Tim Allison is director of public health and policy at NHS Highland.
