Cancer is on the rise among young people – here are the symptoms you need to look out for

Experts have raised the alarm

A major new study has revealed that there are eleven types of cancer that are becoming more common among young people.

Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London emphasised that cancer among young people is still rare, but that it is on the rise.

Although risk can be minimised by living a healthy lifestyle, experts warned that they do not have a conclusive answer for why rates of the disease are increasing among people under 50.

The study claims that the trend of people being more overweight has played a role in the increased rates of cancer, but this does not explain the full story.

For example, in cases of bowel cancer, scientists explained that for every 100 extra cases, 20 may be due to excess weight, leaving 80 with no clear explanation.

"It is very worrisome to hear the news that cancers are increasing in young people," Prof Montserrat García Closas told the BBC.

"However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of cancer by having a healthy lifestyle - for instance, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight."

What are the symptoms of cancer in young people?

The Children and Young People's Cancer Association says many of the symptoms in young people can also be symptoms of common illnesses, so they may be easy to miss.

However, there are some things to look out for, including:

• Aches and pains that don't go away, which might feel worse at night or after exercise
• Unexplained lumps, bruises and swellings (which may or may not be painful)
• Reduced movement, numbing, tingling or weakness
• A new, strange-looking mole, a dark area of skin that was not there before, or a change in a mole or freckle you already have
• Finding it difficult to pee, or to control when you need to pee (wetting yourself), or peeing more often than usual
• Blood in your pee or poo
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
• Sickness and vomiting
• Confusion, or changes in behaviour, thinking or personality
• Slow growth or development

What cancers are most common in young people?

The new analysis has provided a list of eleven cancers in particular that are seeing a rise in young people.

These eleven cancers are as follows: bowel cancer; thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, womb lining (or endometrial), mouth, breast and ovarian cancers.

The most common cancers in young adults are bowel and breast cancers, with a combined 11,500 cases a year.

Cases of pancreatic and gall bladder cancer are much rarer.

Out of these cancers, the only ones seeing an increase in just young people are bowel and ovarian cancer. The other cancers are also increasing across other age groups.

Bowel cancer

The NHS lists the signs of bowel cancer as including:

• Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
• Needing to poo more or less often than usual for youblood in your poo, which may look red or black
• Bleeding from your bottom
• Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
• Tummy paina lump in your tummy
• Bloating
• Losing weight without trying
• Feeling very tired or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer

Thyroid cancer

The NHS lists the symptoms of thyroid cancer as:

• a lump in the front, lower part of your neck – the lump usually feels hard, slowly gets bigger and is not painful
• a hoarse voice
• a sore throat
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• pain in the front of your neck, or a feeling like something is pressing against your neck

Other symptoms can include:

• a red face (flushing) – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin
• softer poos or diarrhoea
• weight loss
• a cough

Multiple Myeloma

The NHS says symptoms of myeloma include:

• Bone pain – you may feel this in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs
• Feeling very tired for no reason
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle weakness
• Headaches
• Feeling very thirsty and needing to pee more often than usual
• Losing weight without trying

Sometimes, myeloma can show no symptoms, and you can find out whether you have it after having a blood test for other reasons.

Liver cancer

Liver cancer may not show any symptoms, or they can be hard to spot. However, the NHS says symptoms can include:

• The whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin (jaundice) – you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
• Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
• Feeling tired or having no energy
• Feeling generally unwell or having symptoms like flu
• A lump in the right side of your tummy

Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:

• feeling or being sick
• pain at the top right side of your tummy or in your right shoulder
• symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling full very quickly when eating
• a very swollen tummy that is not related to when you eat
  

Kidney cancer

The NHS says kidney cancer does not always present obvious symptoms, and can often be diagnosed when undergoing tests for something else.

When there are symptoms, however, they can include:

• Blood in your pee
• A lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck
• Pain between your ribs and waist that does not go away
• Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
• Feeling tired or having no energy
• A high temperature that does not go away
• Sweating a lot, including at night

Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer may not have any symptoms, and those that it does have may be hard to spot.

The symptoms can include:

• The whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin (jaundice) – you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
• Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
• A high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery
• A lump in your tummy

Gallblader cancer may also present itself by issues with your digestion.

• Feeling or being sick
• Aching pain in the right side of your tummy, sometimes described as a "dragging feeling"
• Sharp pain in your tummy
• A very swollen tummy that's not related to when you eat

Pancreatic cancer

Although pancreatic cancer may present no symptoms, the NHS lists some signs that may indicate something is wrong.

They say symptoms can include:

• The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (jaundice), and you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
• Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
• Feeling tired or having no energy
• A high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery

Other symptoms can cause changes to your digestion, including:

• Feeling or being sick
• Diarrhoea or constipation, or other changes in your poo
• Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back, which may feel worse when you're eating or lying down and better when you lean forward
• Symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated

Endometrial cancer (womb lining)

The Mayo Clinic says endometrial cancer can present itself with these symptoms:

• Vaginal bleeding after menopause
• Bleeding between periods
• Pelvic pain

Mouth cancer

The NHS lists the symptoms of mouth cancer as follows:

• A mouth ulcer in your mouth that lasts more than 3 weeks
• A red or white patch inside your moutha lump inside your mouth or on your lip
• Pain inside your mouthdifficulty swallowing
• Difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voicea lump in your neck or throat
• Losing weight without trying

Breast cancer

The NHS lists symptoms of breast cancer in women as including:

• A lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
• A change in the skin of your breast, such as dimpling (may look like orange peel) or redness (may be harder to see on black or brown skin)
• A change in size or shape of 1 or both breasts
• Nipple discharge (if you are not pregnant or breastfeeding), which may have blood in it
• A change in the shape or look of your nipple, such as it turning inwards (inverted nipple) or a rash on it (may look like eczema)
• Pain in your breast or armpit which does not go away – breast pain that comes and goes is usually not a symptom of breast cancer

Ovarian cancers

The NHS says the main symptoms of ovarian cancer include suffering these symptoms roughly twelve or more times per month:

• A swollen tummy or feeling bloated
• Pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between your hips (pelvic pain)
• No appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
• An urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often

Other symptoms can include:

• Indigestion
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Back pain
• Feeling tired all the time
• Losing weight without trying
• Unusual bleeding from the vagina, including between periods, heavier periods or after the menopause