When it comes to cancer, City of Hope Orange County’s state-of-the-art research is bringing hope about treatment and recovery for those diagnosed. Recently released American Cancer Society data shows a disturbing national trend that early-onset cancer, which is defined as disease occurring between ages 18 and 49, is on the rise for cancers of the uterus, colon and rectum, breast, pancreas, stomach, kidney and renal pelvis and cervix. Worse yet, this data shows that people under 50 were the only age group in the United States with an increase in overall cancer incidence from 1995 to 2020.
City of Hope Orange County’s expert physicians took a deep look at this data from a local lens and discovered some concerning specifics for Southern California. At the recent “Younger Face of Cancer” press conference, City of Hope Orange County brought together cancer patients, physicians and county public health experts to reveal these findings through a white paper about the cancer incidence rate in young adults in Southern California amid this national epidemic. This report shows that Orange County—despite its reputation for healthy living—has the highest overall rate of cancer incidence in people under 50 compared to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino Counties.
To underscore these sobering facts, share insight into potential causes for this trend and emphasize what the community needs to know, City of Hope Orange County and Reveille worked with The Orange County Register to publish an exclusive story on the day of the conference that amplified these findings. The impact was widespread, with major news outlets such as KNBC, KCAL/KCBS, KTLA, KFI, and Daily Pilot, among others, attending the conference, further spreading awareness and galvanizing action on this critical issue.
