We Asked the Experts: Providing the Road Map to Uncovering the Pathophysiology of Young-Onset Cancer to Guide Treatment and Preventive Strategies

Excerpt

Until recently, the jury was still out on whether ‘young-onset’ cancer, defined as cancer occurring in individuals under the age of 40 years, was a distinct entity with outcomes worse off than sporadic cancers that generally occur in older individuals [1]. In the last 5 years, there have been numerous publications highlighting a rise in the incidence of young-onset cancers affecting the ovary, breast, rectum, and pancreas. Interestingly, the aetiology of these cancers cannot be traced back to pre-existing familial cancer syndromes [2, 3]. We are, thus, clearly beyond the stage of debating the existence of the entity. It is time to set the agenda for our approach to deciphering its pathophysiology to enable us develop strategies for early detection, appropriate treatment, and the identification of opportunities, if any, to prevent these cancers. …