Why Are More Young Europeans Getting Cancer? Rising Early-Onset Rates, Their Limits, and Europe's Screening Gaps
ARTE.tv Documentary
This episode of ARTE Europe Weekly asks why diseases once associated with old age, including breast, bowel and skin cancer and glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, are increasingly being diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The programme calls the trend a medical mystery that is confounding scientists. It takes the rise seriously and stresses how differently cancer affects young adults. It also warns against calling it an epidemic, and it ends by looking at what EU countries are doing about prevention and screening.
A worrying trend, framed carefully
The programme starts from the scale of cancer overall. One in two people will be diagnosed in their lifetime. There are more than 200 types of the disease, and most people will know someone affected. It airs during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The trend at issue is early-onset cancer. The programme cites a study in the British Medical Journal which found that cancer cases in people under 50 rose by 79% over 30 years. It adds that this is partly linked to population growth. It also sets childhood cancer aside as a separate topic and focuses only on young adults.
Young patients telling their stories online
According to the programme, a cancer diagnosis seems less of a taboo than it used to be. Many young people now share their experiences on Instagram and other platforms. They do this partly to encourage others facing the disease, and partly to help people understand what to say to someone who has it.
One woman featured in the episode says she tried to keep moving every day during treatment. For her, this was a way to "reclaim my body back from cancer physically, but also mentally," and she called it her "little rebellion." She also urges people to be gentle with themselves. Some days on chemotherapy you don't want to get out of bed, she says, and "that's okay, too."
Why a diagnosis at 25 is different from one at 65
Statistically, the programme says, young people have a good chance of surviving many types of cancer. They often tolerate intensive treatment better than older patients. But it argues that survival is only part of the story.
A diagnosis in your 20s or 30s can disrupt a career and decisions about having children in ways it usually doesn't for people over 50. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage the reproductive system. Patients therefore often have to decide, before treatment starts, whether to freeze eggs or sperm. The programme suggests this is why the trend has drawn so much media attention.
Putting the numbers in perspective
The programme then argues that "epidemic" is not quite the right word. Among Europeans aged 15 to 39, rates vary by country:
- Italy had an incidence rate of 104.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024.
- Lithuania had less than half that rate.
In this age group, the most common cancers across Europe in 2024 were breast and testicular cancer, followed by thyroid cancer. Bowel cancer also affects 15- to 39-year-olds and has shown the largest rise in cases over the past 30 years. In France, bowel cancer cases in this group rose by 1.43% per year between 2000 and 2020.
Even so, the programme stresses that cancer remains rare among young people. Its evidence is Europe's average incidence rate in 2024, when the over-60s had 22 times more cancer cases than the 15–39 age group. Bowel cancer is described as a striking example of this gap.
What might be behind it
On causes, the programme first names the long-standing risk factors of tobacco and alcohol. It then points to newer environmental changes: unhealthier diets, more ultra-processed food, and more pollution, including pesticides and "forever chemicals." The description adds that these explanations do not tell the whole story.
The episode says it interviewed two cancer researchers about possible causes. Their contributions are almost entirely missing from the available transcript, so their views cannot be reported here.
The EU's policy response
The programme states that cancer kills more people under 65 in the EU than any other disease. In 2021 the European Commission launched Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. This €4 billion, six-year strategy supports member states with prevention, early detection and treatment. The programme calls it helpful but "a drop in the ocean" compared with the funding needed.
The programme also says that up to 40% of cancers could be prevented through:
- better diets
- more exercise
- not smoking
- drinking less alcohol
It notes that some of this is already happening, since smoking is much less popular than it was 20 years ago.
The programme adds that cancer is not purely a matter of lifestyle. Patient advocacy groups such as Cancer Colère in France are urging the government to do more against environmental pollution such as pesticides and PFAS. Others argue that routine screening should start earlier.
Unequal access to screening
The EU aims to automatically screen 90% of people at particular risk of breast cancer. The programme says it is falling short, with an average of only 54% actually tested, and it describes stark inequalities across Europe.
The programme explains why mammograms matter. These specialised X-ray exams can detect breast cancer before any outward symptoms appear. Most EU countries advise women aged 50 to 69 to have one every two years, but uptake varies widely:
| Country or group | Regular mammogram rate in target group | |---|---| | Denmark, Finland, Sweden | More than 80% | | France (early breast cancer detection) | 47%, below the EU average | | Slovakia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania | Fewer than 30% | | Romania | 9% |
Sweden is described as a pioneer of nationwide screening. Women aged 40 to 74 can get free mammograms every 18 to 24 months, and many would like other countries, including France, to adopt the same approach.
Conclusion: concern without panic
The programme closes by saying it does not want to alarm viewers. Cancer is rising among younger generations, but it affects about one in a thousand people in that age range, compared with one in a hundred in older groups. More cancers are also being caught early, which the programme says improves the chances of successful treatment and quality of life after recovery. It advises viewers who think they may be at risk to talk to their doctor about screening. The underlying question of why early-onset cancers are increasing is left without a definitive answer.
I'm dying. Take this room.
It's a medical mystery that's confounding scientists. One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, but more and more young people are getting what before were considered old people's diseases. Breast cancer, bowel cancer, skin cancer, and glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, are increasing among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. So, why are so many young people getting cancer?
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is why you may be seeing this pink ribbon symbol everywhere in the coming weeks. There are more than 200 different types of cancer, and its prevalence means that sadly most of us will know someone who's been affected by the disease.
But scientists have noticed a worrying trend. There's been an increase in early-onset cancers. A study in the British Medical Journal found that in 30 years, the number of cancer cases skyrocketed by 79% in people under the age of 50. This is partly linked to population growth. Now, we're putting to one side cancer in children, which is a topic all of its own, and instead we're focusing on rates of cancer in young adults, people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Some people who've been diagnosed are taking to social media to share their experiences.
Cancer diagnoses seem to be less of a taboo subject these days. On Instagram and other social media platforms, lots of young people are telling their stories about living with cancer. By speaking openly about it, they hope to encourage others facing the disease.
I tried to keep moving every single day. It was just really important to me to not only reclaim my body back from cancer physically, but also mentally. It was like my little rebellion. Do what you can, when you can. Be kind to yourself. If you don't feel like moving, because some days on chemo you don't, you don't want to get out of bed, then that's okay, too.
It's also about helping other people understand what to say to those with the disease.
For many types of cancer, statistically young people have a good chance of surviving the disease. They often cope better with intensive treatment than older patients. But survival is only part of the story. The disease can have a profound impact on the plans they had for their future.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also damage the reproductive system. So, before treatment begins, patients need to consider whether they want to undergo egg or sperm freezing.
It's a very different experience being diagnosed with cancer in your 20s and 30s, rather than much later in life. It can impact your career or whether you have children in a way it doesn't for people in their 50s or older. So, it's unsurprising that this trend has got a lot of media attention. But it's also not quite right to classify it as an epidemic.
Many young Europeans aged between 15 and 39 are affected by cancer, but the figures vary depending on their country of origin. In Italy, 104.1 cases of cancer were diagnosed per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, a figure known as the incidence rate. In Lithuania, the incidence rate was less than half that.
In this age group, the most common cancers across Europe in 2024 were breast and testicular cancer, followed by thyroid cancer. Bowel cancer is another type affecting 15 to 39-year-olds and has seen the largest rise in the number of cases over the last 30 years. In France, between 2000 and 2020, cases of bowel cancer rose by 1.43% per year.
That said, it's important to put these numbers into perspective. Although cancer cases are on the rise, it's still rare among young people. You need only look at Europe's average incidence rate for proof. In 2024, there were 22 times more cancer cases among the over-60s than in the 15 to 39 age group. Bowel cancer is a striking example.
So, the obvious question is, why is this happening? We all know some of the main risk factors, which have been the same for decades: tobacco and alcohol. But there have been other changes in our environment. More unhealthy diets, a rise in ultra-processed food, and more pollution, including pesticides and forever chemicals. We spoke to two cancer researchers to ask them what could be behind it.
Cancer is so
The truth is that cancer kills more people in the EU under the age of 65 than any other disease. So, what are EU countries doing to fight it? At an overall legislative level, the European Commission launched a Beating Cancer Plan back in 2021. A 4 billion euro strategy over 6 years that helps member states with prevention, early detection, and treatment. That's certainly helpful, but it's a drop in the ocean when it comes to how much funding is needed.
But as much as 40% of cancers could be prevented if we all had better diets, got more exercise, stopped smoking, and drank less alcohol. Some of that is happening anyway. Smoking is definitely less popular now than it was even 20 years ago.
Of course, it's not purely down to lifestyle choices. In Europe, there are cancer patient advocacy organizations like Cancer Colère in France that are calling for the government to do more to tackle environmental pollution like pesticides and PFAS. Some are arguing that routine screenings need to happen sooner.
The EU has set itself the goal of getting 90% of people who are particularly at risk for breast cancer screened automatically, but it's falling short. On average, only 54% of people get tested.
There are stark inequities across Europe when it comes to cancer screening and detection. Mammograms are vitally important. This specialized X-ray examination can detect breast cancer even before any external symptoms. In most EU countries, women aged 50 to 69 are advised to have one every 2 years, but across Europe, access to these scans varies dramatically.
In Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, more than 80% of women have regular mammograms. Sweden is considered a pioneer when it comes to nationwide screening. Women aged 40 to 74 can get free mammograms every 18 to 24 months. Many would like to see the same approach adopted elsewhere in Europe, like in France, where the rate of early breast cancer detection is below the EU average at just 47%.
This is particularly true in countries such as Slovakia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania, where fewer than 30% of the target group have regular mammograms. In Romania, that figure drops to just 9%.
We don't want this show to panic you. While cancer is increasing among younger generations, it only affects one in a thousand people in that age range compared to one in a hundred for people in older age groups. Plus, more cancers are being caught early, which means better chance of treatment and a better quality of life after recovery. Talk to your doctor about screening if you think you could be at risk.
And let us know what topics you want us to cover in the future. We do read the comments on YouTube and love getting your feedback on the show. We'll see you next time. Ciao.
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