Types of cancer that are most common in people under 40 years of age

In recent decades, the picture of the spread of oncological diseases has changed a lot. Previously, most of the patients were over 55 years old, and now young people are increasingly facing cancer.

Many experts believe that the main risk factor for the development of cancer at a young age is heredity. As statistics show, the majority of patients in their 20s and 30s have close relatives with cancer. One of the most common tumors, which often has a genetic basis, is breast cancer. The risks are especially high if this type of cancer has been diagnosed in two female relatives. In this case, it is recommended to start undergoing regular preventive examinations from the age of 20. If you have a burdened heredity, discuss this with your doctor. You may be offered genetic testing to accurately determine your risk, and a schedule of tests will be drawn up.

Soft tissue and bone sarcomas are the most common among young people. For example, there are several types of bone and connective tissue cancer, which people after 30 almost never get sick, and most cases occur at the age of 10-20.

The fashion for tanned skin has brought another type of cancer to young people – melanoma . Previously, skin cancer in the vast majority of cases developed after the age of 60, but now it often occurs in very young people. Experts consider the main risk factor to be exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin. Therefore, it is important to protect the skin from sunlight and monitor the condition of moles.

Hodgkin's lymphomas are quite common in young people – they are most often diagnosed in patients aged 15-40. Young patients have a more favorable prognosis if the tumor was detected in time.

Another type of tumor that is practically not found in people over 40 is teratomas. These are tumors that are formed at the stage of embryonic development. Most often, they are benign and you can live your whole life without learning about its existence, but they can be reborn. Such tumors are localized mainly in the ovaries in women and testicles in men, but they can also be in other places, even in the brain.