Young people urged not to shrug off cancer concerns
A study's found more young people are being diagnosed with cancer
Young people are being urged not to ignore the signs of a potential cancer, amid a growing rise of young people being diagnosed.
It follows a study by the University of Edinburgh, which suggests there was a 79% rise in diagnosis for people under 50 between 1990 and 2019.
Dr Richard Roope is from the Wessex Cancer Alliance, which works across the South and told us the numbers remain low despite the rise.
"The numbers are still small so a percentage increase on a small number is still a relatively small number, but it is rising, so obviously that is a concern," he said.
Some cancers are preventable
He told us the 40% of cancers are preventable, with smoking, overweight and obesity and alcohol among the 'big four' preventable causes of cancer.
The fourth preventable cause of cancer is the Sun, with Dr Roope imploring everyone to ensure they apply sun cream - even if temperatures aren't that high.
"I think we're aware when we're having our summer holiday, but actually if you're out for a walk on a sort of summer afternoon, we probably don't think about it.
"And the thing with sun protection is it needs to be put on frequently, so probably every hour or two hours and particularly if you've been swimming, you need to reapply once you've dried off."
Exposure to the sun can cause Melanoma, which Dr Roope says are common on the back and very treatable if caught early.
"In the case of skin cancer, what we're looking for is any changes, so a mould that is changing or becomes irregular colour, irregular shape, irregular, anything like that, get it checked out.
"One of the things that's really helpful is if you've got a friend who can check your back because that's a really difficult place to look at."
Youngster suffer a variety of cancers
Dr Roope told Greatest Hits Radio that young people can suffer from different types of cancer to those of older people.
"In the younger ages, we tend to see relatively more of the blood cancers and some of the nerve cancers. So brain tumours, spinal tumours and in the very young, it gets a bit complicated. But some of the sort of the what we call germ cell tumours."
But with cancers being so much more treatable, parents of young children and young people themselves are urged to be aware of the signs that could suggest cancer is present in the body.
They include:
- Lumps you cant explain
- Unexplained bleeding
- Persistent pain
- Weight loss
- Tiredness
Dr Roope said: "I would encourage you, if you feel that something is not right, contact some medical professional and get it checked."
He stressed the importance of catching cancers early.
"If you have the misfortune to develop a cancer, we want to catch it as early as possible. There are many more treatment options, and they're much more likely to be successful if caught early."