Poor sleep linked to rising cancer risk in under-50s | Cancer
Insufficient sleep may be fueling a global rise in the number of people under 50 diagnosed with cancer, according to two large studies.
The number of young people infected with the disease has increased by almost 80% in three decades. While early-onset cancer cases worldwide increased from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019, cancer deaths in people in their 40s, 30s and younger increased by 27%.
Experts are still trying to understand the reasons behind the increase. However, research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, the world’s largest cancer conference, suggests that irregular sleep patterns in teens may be a contributing factor.
Two studies conducted by MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, one of the world’s leading cancer research organizations, analyzed health data on more than 18 million adults ages 18 to 50 in the United States.
Researchers found that people with poor sleep patterns are more likely to develop early-onset bowel, breast, uterine or ovarian cancer. In some cases, people under 50 diagnosed with insomnia were three times more likely to develop cancer within five years.
“These findings suggest that sleep disruption may represent a clinically relevant, potentially modifiable risk factor in early-onset cancer risk stratification and warrant further investigation,” the researchers said.
Identifying the causes of rising cancer rates among young adults has become a global health priority. According to research, more than 1 million people under the age of 50 die from cancer every year. Published in BMJ Oncology.
Experts not involved in the studies welcomed the findings but said more research was needed to better understand the link between insomnia and early-onset cancer.
Claire Coughlan, UK Clinical Lead for Bowel Cancer, said bowel cancer was still more common in people in their over 50s, but there was growing evidence worldwide that cases were increasing in younger people.
“We don’t know exactly why this happens yet, but researchers currently believe it may be due to genetic and lifestyle factors,” he said. “This study’s conclusion that insomnia may be a potential risk factor in early-onset colorectal cancer may help us understand the reasons behind this increase. The findings of this study are worthy of further investigation.”
Dr. is a general practitioner and director of the Better Sleep Clinic in Bristol, England. David Garley said there was “increasing interest” in the impact of sleep deprivation on a person’s risk of developing other health problems, including cancer.
But he warned that rather than proving that sleep disturbance causes cancer in under-50s, studies have identified an association. There could be several reasons for the connection, Garley said.
“There are possible causes stemming from physiology resulting from poor sleep, but also the fact that it’s difficult to live a healthy life when you’re sleep deprived – drinking more, more obesity, less exercise, smoking more, etc. – and these may be the things that cause possible increased risk.
“If you’re sleeping poorly, we know that one of the roles of sleep is to repair the immune system. We’re better understanding the role of infective agents in cancer development.”
“So if your immune system takes a bit of a hit, I guess it would stand to reason that you’d be at increased risk of some types of cancer. But the opposite could also happen. If you have cancer and it’s not clinically apparent yet, it could cause some changes in the way you sleep.”
Megan Winter, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “These studies are investigating whether there is a link between insomnia and some types of cancer in people under 50, but more research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn, particularly by examining people over longer periods of time.”
In the meantime, he added, people can reduce their risk of cancer by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and staying safe in the sun.
