Cancer calculator shines spotlight on young Queensland men

Young Queensland men love the gym but several factors are putting them at risk of cancer, new research has revealed.

Young men love the gym, but binge drinking, eating processed meats and not using enough sunscreen is putting them at risk of cancer, new research from Cancer Council Queensland has revealed.

The new data released on Thursday comes from young men completing Cancer Council Queensland’s interactive Cancer Risk Calculator.

More than 42,000 people around the world have completed the latest version of the calculator, including over 4000 Queenslanders from rural and regional areas.

The most common cancers in men aged 18 to 30 were testicular, melanoma, lymphoma, leukaemia and colorectal cancer.

In 1982 the top five cancers in the age group were melanoma, testicular, lip cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia.

Cancer Council Queensland head of prevention and early detection Sharyn Chin Fat said: “Young Queensland men who completed the Cancer Risk Calculator were more

likely to self-report that they regularly smoke, vape and binge drink, eat processed meat every week, and don’t meet the national guidelines for fruit and veggie consumption.

“We know that over time, these lifestyle behaviours can raise someone’s risk of developing a preventable cancer.

“The data shows young Queensland men were also 1.5 times more likely than the rest of the community to say they don’t use sunscreen.

“This is particularly concerning as research suggests even five sunburns can more than double your lifetime risk of developing melanoma.”

Young men reported that they are doing a lot of exercise — 43 per cent said they more than exceed the national guidelines and are physically active for more than 10 hours a week.

“This correlates with other data – Queensland Health’s research has also confirmed that Queenslanders who meet the national exercise guidelines are more likely to be young and male,” Ms Chin Fat said.

While cancer remained relatively rare in young men compared with those in older age groups, data also revealed how the most common cancer diagnoses in young Queensland men have changed over time.

“This data is interesting as it highlights the impact lifestyle can have on cancer risk,” she said.

“Lip cancer was the third most common cancer diagnosis in young men in 1982, but is almost unheard of now.

“This is potentially because in 1982, there was less awareness around the dangers of excess UV exposure and higher rates of smoking.

“It’s good to see we now have lower rates of melanoma in young men — down from 43 diagnoses per 100,000 young men in 1982, to 38 diagnoses per 100,000 today, but there is still more that can be done when it comes to getting our young men to protect their skin.

“While it’s important to note cancer is relatively rare in young men, testicular cancer remains one of the most common cancers in this age group.”

Queensland men should keep an eye out for testicular cancer symptoms, including a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, a feeling of unevenness, a pain or ache in the lower abdomen, the testicle or scrotum, back pain, and tender or enlarged chest tissue.

Originally published as Cancer calculator shines spotlight on young Queensland men