The question of what age cancer screening should start is getting louder, as increasing numbers of people under 50 are being diagnosed, often well before they are eligible for routine testing. “There is clearly something going on,” says Yoanna Pumpalova, a medical oncologist who treats colorectal cancer at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. “I see it every day. I have way too many patients who are my age — I’m 37 — or even younger, and it’s horrible. It’s more than it was five years ago; there’s no question about it.” In addition to colorectal cancer, there also seems to be an uptick in other types of malignancies, including those affecting the breasts, stomach, kidney and pancreas (see ‘Starting early’). A BMJ Oncology study1 published in 2023 estimated that the global incidence of cancer in people under 50 will increase by more than 30% between 2019 and 2030, the authors citing diet, alcohol consumption and tobacco use as potential risk factors. Some countries have responded by lowering the screening age for certain cancers. In 2024, Australia lowered the recommended starting age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45, and as of late last year, every...

A meta-analysis reveals creatine enhances high-intensity performance, with muscle gains linked to resistance training context and supplementation.

The impact of long-term illness suffered by people after Covid-19 infection could cost OECD countries, including Ireland, more than €115bn a year for the next decade, a new report has warned.