An increasing number of young Canadians are developing cancer, but it is not clear what is behind the rise in the young cancer patient rates, which is more pronounced in young women than it is in young men, the Canadian Cancer Society reported Thursday.

Rates of new cases are rising by about 1.4 percent a year among females aged 15 to 29, while in young men in that age group, the increase is just under 1 percent a year.

According to the report, roughly 2,075 young Canadians receive a diagnosis of cancer and 326 people in this age group die from the disease each year.

The most common cancers among young men are testicular cancer and lymphoma, while lymphoma and thyroid cancer are the most common cancers among young women. The most common cause of cancer death in this demographic is leukemia.

What makes the picture brighter is the five-year survival rate for all cancers in this group is 85 percent, up five percent from 1992 and 1995.

The cancer death rates declined in both young women and young men in the decade from 1996 to 2005, dropping by 1.4 percent a year in females and 2.9 percent a year in males.

Scientists noted that cancer presents unique challenges to young patients and their extended circle of family and friends. For one thing, cancer treatments can trigger health problems down the road and can threaten the ability of young cancer survivors to have children of their own.

The cancer society suggested young people should learn how to minimize their risks of developing cancer as well as how to spot it if it does occur. That includes getting Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer, reducing unsafe exposure to sunlight and UV rays emitted by tanning beds, and maintaining healthy habits like exercising, a good diet and not smoking.

As for the population as a whole, the Canadian Cancer Society estimated that 171,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year, up 4,600 from last year. And it is estimated that 75,300 people in the country would die from cancer in 2009, up 1,500 from 2008.

Cancer survival rates have improved among Canadians of all ages as well as among younger adults. The five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with cancer between 2002 and 2004 is 62 percent, up 4.5 percent from a decade earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2009)