Health problems when you hit late 30s early 40s

[Mummabear04]

I had a very close friend pass away from cancer when we were just 36 but it was a rare and aggressive form of cancer and i just thought it was a very rare and tragic case.

Since then (in the space of 2 years) I know of 4 mums at my kids school that are battling cancer and then just found out a friend at work has been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Everyone is late 30s early 40s. It just seems mad how rife it is. Is this normal at this age for this to start happening? I am quite shaken and tbh I am petrified by it all.

I think it is, unfortunately, quite normal. I have cancer and am mid 40s. I’ve lost 4 friends to cancer in recent years. And a couple more to other things (drug overdose, for example).

Statistically speaking, half of all people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. Now treatment today is very good. I have a particularly aggressive cancer than a few years ago, only had a 60% 5 year survival rate for my stage. Now with new treatments, the vast majority are cancer free at 5 years. It’s not as dire as it was even a few years ago. But if 50% of people get cancer, a good number of them will start to get it in their 30s and 40s.

I don’t think this has probably changed massively though, but probably there is earlier diagnosis and more treatment now. My dad died in his early 50s from cancer, but was diagnosed only 4 weeks before he died. Probably lots of people didn’t even know why he died because it was so sudden and obviously no social media so it’s not like his friends from primary school knew. They might have seen it in the paper.

But yes, I think it’s quite a typical pattern and probably not hugely new. There is just more awareness, which is probably a good thing.

I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist but I can't help but feel all this is delayed reaction from the COVID jabs. It's just too... coincidental? And I am pro jabs, every vaccine available I've and my children have had, and I also had the two COVID jabs required for my job (I'm a nurse) but it just feels....suss. especially women with breast cancer, I've had 5/6 patients in the last year diagnosed late 30s/40s and tbh it's terrifying.

I'm really sorry that you're having to go through this and also for your Dad xxx

But what makes you think that though?

cancer rates in younger people are rising and this predates covid jabs

partial explanations include obesity and poor diet and exercise

@Queenofkittens there’s no scientific evidence at all to link the two. Tragically some younger people have always got cancer.

There were various articles in the press recently about the uptick in younger people being diagnosed with cancer, particularly bowel cancer.
More younger people are getting cancer unfortunately.

All the people I know who have cancer are fit and eat healthy. I get that poor lifestyle causes can be linked to it but I also know my OHs gran died of lung cancer never having smoked a day in her life (she obviously will have been around people smoking but to my knowledge no one smoked in their house).

It's usually post 50s from what I've seen.

However there has been a trend of cancner hitting more earlier that's been around - well before covid - there's lots of theories and lots of reaseacrh.

https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2023/01/24/early-onset-cancer-why-are-more-young-adults-being-diagnosed/

I wonder if this is linked with UPF and/or stress...

From link I posted above:

Out of the 12 cancer types the team found were becoming more common in people under 50, 8 relate to the digestive system.

So diet and lifestyle changes are likely behind some - cancer causes are hard to track as so much can affect it - pollution to epigenetics -so may be seeing changes from prior generation now showing up - to viruses.

Terminal illness is awful and unfair and has the hardest impact on the family and friends.

Agree it’s alarming, but it’s hardly surprising given things like microplastics and air pollution. Hopefully some of it is also down to advances in detection/treatment though.

I wonder if this is linked with UPF and/or stress...

I think stress plays a big part

Yes it is a coincidence.

And dear lord you said 'patients'.

Wasn’t there an article recently saying a lot of cancers were being linked to obesity?

I wouldn’t say it is normal or usual for people in their 30s to die of illness but it does happen. I only know of 2 people who died from my year in school , one was from an accident (very young). The second person died of aggressive cancer recently. I’m late 30s. It shook me alot to hear about it.
I suppose health insurance gets more expensive after 35 and there is a reason for that.

I know a school dad that got diagnosed with colon cancer last month, he's right in that age range. I'm inclined to think it is lifestyle related. He is on the surface healthy and active, but if you've spent your life eating carcinogenic meats, drinking fizzy drinks, drinking alchol etc then there's a non zero chance that something goes wrong. People a generation back did get cancer around the same age, but I feel like it was more breast cancer/lung cancer vs colon which seems much more prevalent now. I also think what we ate and drank as children plays a big part, there was much less education on it then, and the options were really not good. I'm in the same boat as the OP, terrified every time I don't feel well that there is undetected cancer or something in the background.

I had cancer at 33 but it was down to genetics rather than lifestyle/environment. I don't know anyone in my social circle late 30's early 40's who have had cancer. Some have had tests for other things and a couple diagnosed with chronic conditions. I am expecting to start hearing more in the next 5 years or so.

I’ve read poor diets with UPF , alcohol and smoking , obesity and inactivity are driving rates of some cancers up.

I wonder how much of it is down to lack of exercise - there was a thread not long ago about how many steps people did in a day, and there was a shocking number of people who didn't even do 1000 steps.

I remember reading somewhere that being slightly overweight but fit and active is better than being skinny but sedentary. Not sure how true that is but I can only imagine that staying active has to be a good thing.

I'm in my mid-late 30's and only know one person around my age who has had cancer (breast). It was detected early and she was treated and is in remission now.

I know a few people diagnosed with chronic health issues (myself included) but nothing life-threatening or that can't be treated.

I do think once you know one person with a health issue, you become more aware of it and notice it everywhere. It's a bit like when you get a dog and suddenly notice your breed of dog everywhere you go.

There was a news report yesterday about exericer and colon cancer - survival rates improved in group when they did double the recommended amount of excerise a week.
Exercise proves powerful in preventing colon cancer recurrence – new study

I think our kids have done more walking as we don't drive but less playing out in streets - I didn't do much post primary school but did some prior and Dh did a lot.

That's similar to the article I read @Usk about how important exercise is to your overall health. I do a physical job and am active all day - I also have PCOS and my GP basically said it was my job that means I don't suffer as much as I would otherwise. Being sedentary is so bad for us.