Poor sleep linked to rising cancer risk in under-50s

Poor sleep may be fuelling the global rise in under-50s being diagnosed with cancer, two large studies suggest.

Poor sleep linked to rising cancer risk in under-50s. Poor sleep may be fuelling the global rise in under-50s being diagnosed with cancer, two large studies suggest. The number of younger people diagnosed with the disease has risen by almost 80% in three decades. Worldwide cases of early-onset cancer increased from 1.82m in 1990 to 3.26m in 2019, while cancer deaths among people in their 40s, 30s or younger rose by 27%. Experts are still trying to understand the reasons behind the increase. However, research presented at the world’s largest cancer conference, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, suggests irregular sleeping patterns in younger people may be a contributing factor. Two studies led by MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, one of the world’s leading cancer research organisations, analys...