early cancers: investigation into a mysterious increase

Early cancers: investigation into a mysterious increase

October 5, 2025

By Enola Tissandie THE Subscribers

How can we explain the increase in cancer cases among people under 50, when these diseases are considered age-related? Lifestyle and increased screening alone do not explain this phenomenon. The problem is that early-onset tumors are less susceptible to standard treatments due to their late detection.

PET scan

The PET scan (or positron emission tomography) makes it possible to detect cancer cells at an early stage, to locate them precisely and to monitor their development during treatment.

BARANOZDEMIR/ GETTY IMAGES

This article is taken from the monthly Sciences et Avenir n°944, dated October 2025.

“I accepted to integrate it into my daily life, a bit like a chronic illness.” Hélène didn't expect to experience her second recurrence of colorectal cancer at age 45. Five years earlier, her general practitioner prescribed a colonoscopy following digestive problems. He wasn't worried; Hélène was "too young to get cancer " Less than a month later, she was told she had colon cancer. However, Hélène was far from being an isolated case.

Colorectal cancer Breast cancer Pancreatic cancer

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