We can blame the leap in new cases of childhood cancer on our modern lifestyle, in many cases, says Alasdair Philips, the science adviser at Children with Cancer UK, a charitable organization started in 1988 that provides funding for research into the prevention and cure of all childhood cancers.
An analysis of childhood cancer cases in the UK compiled by researchers found that cancer in young people rose by 1,300 new cases every year since data was last compiled in 1998. Pollution, pesticides, technology, and fast foods along with a lack of exercise seem to be a contributing factor.
Among the cancers with the most striking rise in numbers was colon cancer, which has increased 200 percent, and thyroid cancer, which has doubled in the number of cases seen since 1998.
Phillips told Sky News there seems to be “a correlation between the lifestyle of young people” and the rise in the number of cancer cases.
Although researchers agree that the number of cancer cases has increased because of better diagnostic testing and screenings, this does not account for the majority of cases, which can be attributed to environmental causes.
“They tend to be doing a lot less exercise and there’s also a lot of fast food being eaten, which is fine in moderation, but we know they do contain cancer giving substances,” Phillips said, according to the Daily Mail.
Dr. Denis Henshaw, a Professor of Human Radiation Effects at Bristol University and a Children with Cancer UK advisor, pointed to pollution and the rising rates of obesity in young people as the main culprits, among others.
“When you look at cancers such as childhood leukemia there is no doubt that environmental factors are playing a big role,’ said Dr. Henshaw. ‘We were shocked to see the figures, and it’s our modern lifestyle I’m afraid.”
Many everyday items, such as iPads, hair dryers, the electricity coming into homes, char-grilled food, air pollution, pesticides and solvents all play a role, and young people are most affected say the researchers.
“What’s worrying is it is very hard to avoid a lot of these things. How can you avoid air pollution? It sometimes feels like we are fighting a losing battle,” Dr. Henshaw says.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the UK and around the globe. In the UK, an international conference on childhood cancer is underway at the Church House Conference Centre, London, UK. It started on September 5 and goes through Sept. 7, 2016.
