Young, Fit, Yet Diagnosed: Cancer's Alarming Rise Among Youth Shocks Doctors

• Dr. Trilok Pratap Singh Bhandari notes a significant increase in cancer diagnoses among young adults, a shift from his earlier career.
• Breast cancer in young women is rising, with 10-20% of Indian patients now premenopausal, often presenting with advanced disease due to late screening.
• Colorectal cancer, once rare in under-40s, is now common in young adults, often advanced as symptoms are ignored.
• Lifestyle changes like processed food diets, reduced physical activity, disrupted sleep, and rising obesity are major drivers of this trend.
• Delayed childbearing, reduced breastfeeding, chronic stress, and lack of awareness among young people also contribute to early onset cancers.

Why It Matters: Cancer is no longer an old-age disease; prevention and early detection must start early for young, fit individuals.