Certain types of cancer that were once diagnosed mainly in older adults are now increasingly being found in people under 50.

A U.S. government study published earlier this year analyzed more than two million cancer diagnoses among patients aged 15 to 49 between 2010 and 2019.

Of the 33 cancer types examined, 14 showed an increase among younger age groups, with about 63% of early-onset cases occurring in women. Experts suggest that this trend is more likely due to overdiagnosis rather than a true rise in life-threatening cancers. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, focused on eight cancer types with the fastest-growing incidence among those under 50 — thyroid, anal, kidney, small intestine, colorectal, endometrial, pancreatic cancers, and myeloma.

The findings show that while diagnoses of these cancers have roughly doubled since 1992, mortality rates have remained stable, according to Euronews. This suggests that the increase in detected cases is likely the result of improved screening and diagnostic methods, not an actual surge in disease prevalence.

For instance, the number of diagnosed cases of thyroid and kidney cancers has risen sharply without a corresponding increase in mortality — a trend that specialists attribute to better detection. Similarly, breast cancer among women under 50 has become more frequently diagnosed, but mortality in this group has dropped by half over the past 30 years thanks to advances in treatment. However, there are exceptions: colorectal and endometrial cancers have shown a slight but steady rise in death rates.

The authors caution that framing early-onset cancer as an “epidemic” could exaggerate the problem and lead to unintended consequences — including panic and unnecessary invasive procedures that place emotional, physical, and financial burdens on patients.