Health officials in Florida have expressed concern about a sharp increase in cancer cases among young people.
Figures from the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative showed that rates of all cancer diagnoses among people in their 20s and 30s increased 15 percent between 2010 and 2020 – three times faster than the national average.
Rates rose faster in women than in men as doctors warned that patients would only be diagnosed at a later stage, when their disease was more advanced and difficult to treat.
Researchers can’t explain the increase, but modern diets, antibiotic use and fungal infections have been suggested as factors – but that wouldn’t explain why rates are rising so quickly in Florida.
Cancer cases in Florida among those ages 20 to 39 increased 15 percent in the decade from 2010 to 2020
The map above shows the percentage of cancer diagnoses by county in Florida. It highlights that the Miami area has the highest rates
Among the Florida women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age was Domenica Fuller, 29, of Miami, who was preparing for her wedding when she was told she had stage three breast cancer. While attending her wedding, she was undergoing chemotherapy
Madeline Mordarski of Bradenton, near Tampa, was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in November 2022, just a week after her 32nd birthday. She had a lump in her breast
Breast cancer was most common in younger adults and was the leading cause of cancer death, with colorectal cancer and leukemia, among other cancers, growing the fastest.
Dr. Mohamedtaki Tejani, an oncologist at AdventHealth Cancer Institute, told the Orlando Sentinel, “I have people in their 20s and 30s.” [with cancer] was rare, and now it’s the norm.
“And what’s really sad is that younger patients typically present with more advanced disease because it’s not on their radar.”
“It’s not on the radar of their primary care physicians.”
Among the young Florida women diagnosed with breast cancer was Domenica Fuller, 29, of Miami, who was preparing for her wedding in 2022 when she noticed a lump on her left breast.
“I did a breast self-exam, I took a shower and I don’t know why I decided to do it, but I did it,” she told NBC 6, “and I felt something hard on my left breast.”
“It was just something that felt like a frozen grape in my chest.”
She was diagnosed with stage three ductal carcinoma, meaning the breast cancer had spread to another area of her body, making treatment difficult.
She had surgery and received four rounds of chemotherapy and radiation – which continued through her wedding – and is now listed in remission.
Another patient in Florida was Madeline Mordarski of Bradenton, near Tampa, who was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in November 2022 after discovering a lump in her left breast. This happened a week before her 32nd birthday.
She had a double mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy to treat the cancer and is now in remission.
She said she has returned to the dating scene since her recovery, adding that “surviving cancer is like a vetting system for me.”
“People who are uncomfortable with my openness and experience would likely have been the ones who would have encountered a diagnosis,” she said.
Other young women suffering from breast cancer include Amy Dowden, 33, from the UK, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May.
She discovered a lump in her breast during her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in April. She recently shared a photo of her shaved head as she received treatment.
Data showed that the overall cancer diagnosis rate among people ages 20 to 39 in Florida in 2010 was 79.4 cases per 100,000 people.
But since 2010, this has increased by around two percent every year. In 2020, the rate was 91.9 cases per 100,000 people.
For women under 50, the rate of diagnoses of all types of cancer increased from 118.6 to 131.5 – or by 11 percent – over the same period.
However, for men under 50, the rate remained stable at around 80 per 100,000 people, according to the report.
Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Amy Dowden, 33, from the UK, has been diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast during her honeymoon. She is pictured above during cancer treatment
The most common cancer among 20- and 30-year-olds was breast cancer; 6,966 cases were diagnosed between 2010 and 2020.
This cancer was also the most common cause of cancer death in this age group, with 768 deaths.
The next four cancers with the highest cases were thyroid cancer (6,103 cases), melanoma of the skin (3,615), testicular cancer (2,922) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (2,774).
Senators in Florida are currently trying to pass a bill that would force health insurance companies to cover annual skin cancer screenings in the state.
The bill, proposed by Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell, would require all health insurers in the state to cover preventive care by 2025 and would prohibit the imposition of deductibles, co-payments or other types of cost-sharing on patients.
A similar bill was also proposed earlier this year but failed to pass in the Senate.
However, the cancers that caused the most deaths were different from those with the most cases.
Between 2010 and 2020, leukemia, or blood cancer, was the second leading cause of cancer death in young adults, causing 583 deaths. This was followed by brain cancer (509 deaths), colon cancer (499) and cervical cancer (399).
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, 43, founded the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative earlier this year to collect and analyze data on cancer and identify trends in the state to improve treatments.
The organization collects data from the state’s cancer incidence database, which relies on data provided by hospitals.
Pictured above is Casey DeSantis with her husband Ron as she discusses her battle with breast cancer
Ms. DeSantis, who battled breast cancer herself in 2021, wrote in the report: “Cancer can affect anyone and is often unexpected.”
“When you or a loved one are going through the battle with this terrible disease, it is an emotional and overwhelming time.”
Ms. DeSantis achieved remission in March 2022 after treatment with chemotherapy, radiation and three surgeries.
The increase in cancer cases among people ages 20 to 39 in Florida reflects a trend seen nationwide.
In the United States, the rate of cancer diagnoses for all types of the disease increased from 86 cases per 100,000 adults in this age group in 2010 to 89.6 cases per 100,000 in 2019.
The number fell to 82.7 in 2020, the most recent data available, although this is likely due to the Covid pandemic, which led to fewer diagnoses as many people missed check-ups, avoided medical facilities and canceled doctor’s appointments.
Of particular concern is colon cancer, which is often only detected in the late stages – when it is much more difficult to treat.
Among adults in their 20s and 30s, colorectal cancer rates rose from 4.8 to 6.2 cases per 100,000 – or by 30 percent – in the decade to 2020.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the death rate also increased slightly from 1.0 to 1.1 per 100,000.
However, a 2021 study published in JAMA estimated that in just seven years, colon cancer would be the leading cause of death among people ages 20 to 49.
While doctors are still studying why colon cancer cases are increasing, they suspect it is due to overuse of antibiotics and fungal infections in the intestines.
Overuse of antibiotics could trigger the disease because it can lead to an imbalance of microbes in the gut, increasing the likelihood of dangerous bacteria or fungi taking hold that could damage cells.
As for rising rates of other cancers across the country, doctors are puzzled but suspect it may be due to a more sedentary lifestyle, Western diet and alcohol consumption.