The rise in premature cancer cases among young people in Florida is raising alarm as doctors warn: “Getting cancer in your 20s or 30s is now THE NORM.”

Health officials in Florida have expressed concern about a sharp rise in cancer rates among young people.

Figures from the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative show that rates of all cancer diagnoses among people in their 20s and 30s increased 15 percent between 2010 and 2020 — three times faster than the national average.

The numbers rose faster for women than men, as doctors warned that patients would only be diagnosed at a later stage, when their disease is more advanced and difficult to treat.

Researchers can’t explain the increase, but modern diets, antibiotic use and yeast infections have all been cited as factors — but that won’t explain why Florida’s numbers are rising so quickly.

The map above shows the percentage of cancer diagnoses by county in Florida. It highlights that the Miami region has the highest rates

Breast cancer was most common in younger adults and was the leading cause of cancer deaths, with colon cancer and leukemia among the fastest rising.

Dr. Mohamedtaki Tejani, an oncologist at AdventHealth Cancer Institute, told the Orlando Sentinel, “People in their 20s and 30s.” [with cancer] was rare, and now it is the norm.

“And what’s really sad is that younger patients tend to present with more advanced disease because it’s not on their radar.

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“It’s not on the radar of their primary care physicians.”

Among the young Florida women diagnosed with breast cancer was Domenica Fuller, 29, of Miami, who was preparing for her wedding when she noticed a lump in her left breast.

“I did a breast exam myself, I went to take a shower and I don’t know why I decided to do it, but I did,” she told NBC 6, “and I have something hard on my left breast feeling.”

“It was just something that felt like a frozen grape in my chest.”

She was diagnosed with stage three ductal carcinoma, meaning the breast cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.

She underwent surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to treat the cancer – and received one of her rounds of chemotherapy just before her wedding. She is now found to be in remission.

Other young women suffering from breast cancer include Amy Dowden, 33, from the UK, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May.

She discovered a lump in her breast in April during her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones. She recently shared a photo of her shaved head during the treatment.

Data show that the rate of diagnosis of all cancers among people between the ages of 20 and 39 in Florida in 2010 was 79.4 cases per 100,000 people.

But it has increased by about two percent every year since 2010. In 2020, the number of cases was 91.9 per 100,000 people.

Among women under 50, the number of diagnoses of all types of cancer rose from 118.6 to 131.5 over the same period – an increase of 11 percent.

However, for men under 50, the rate remained stable at about 80 per 100,000 people, according to the report.

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Amy Dowden, 33, from the UK, was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast during her honeymoon. She is pictured above during cancer treatment

The most common cancer in people between the ages of 20 and 30 was breast cancer; 6,966 cases were diagnosed between 2010 and 2020.

This type of cancer was also the most common cause of cancer death in people of this age group, with 768 deaths.

The next four cancers with the highest incidence were thyroid cancer (6,103 cases), cutaneous melanoma (3,615), testicular cancer (2,922) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2,774).

However, the cancers that caused the most deaths were different from the cancers with the most cases.

Between 2010 and 2020, leukemia, or blood cancer, was the second leading cause of death in young adults, causing 583 deaths. This was followed by brain cancer (509 deaths), colon cancer (499) and cervical cancer (399).

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, 43, founded the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative earlier this year to collect and analyze cancer data and identify trends in the state to improve treatments.

The organization collects data from the state’s cancer incidence database, which is based on hospital data.

Pictured above is Casey DeSantis with her husband Ron as she discusses her battle with breast cancer

Mrs. DeSantis, who herself battled breast cancer in 2021, wrote in the report, “Cancer can affect anyone and is often unexpected.”

“When you or a loved one is struggling with this terrible disease, it is an emotional and overwhelming time.”

Mrs. DeSantis went into remission in March 2022 after treatment with chemotherapy, radiation and three surgeries.

The rise in cancer rates among people between the ages of 20 and 39 in Florida mirrors a trend seen nationwide.

In the United States, cancer diagnoses for all types of disease increased from 86 cases per 100,000 adults in this age group in 2010 to 89.6 cases per 100,000 in 2019.

According to the latest available data, the number dropped to 82.7 in 2020. However, this was likely due to the Covid pandemic, which led to fewer diagnoses as many people missed check-ups, avoided medical facilities and canceled doctor appointments.

Of particular concern is colon cancer, which is often only discovered at a late stage and is then much more difficult to treat.

In adults aged 20 to 30, the rate of colorectal cancer rose from 4.8 to 6.2 cases per 100,000 in the decade to 2020 – a 30 percent increase.

The death rate also rose slightly from 1.0 to 1.1 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

However, a 2021 study published in JAMA estimated that within just seven years, colon cancer will become the leading cause of death in people between the ages of 20 and 49.

While doctors are still studying why the number of colon cancer cases is increasing, they suspect it is due to overuse of antibiotics and fungal infections in the intestines.

Overuse of antibiotics can fuel the disease because it can lead to an imbalance of microbes in the gut, increasing the chances that dangerous bacteria or fungi will take root and damage cells.

As for the rising rates of other cancers across the country ieDoctors are puzzled, but suspect it may be due to a more sedentary lifestyle, Western diet and alcohol consumption.