Cancer Prevention Day: Cancer is affecting more and more young people

31 January 2026 will be dedicated to cancer prevention. The CCC of MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna invites all interested parties to the Van Swieten Hall (1090 Vienna, Van Swieten Gasse 1a) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to learn about personal risk and the topic of "cancer prevention" through lectures and personal discussions with leading experts. For those who cannot attend in person, there will be a livestream. "Events such as Cancer Prevention Day are extremely important because they give us the opportunity to raise awareness and potentially help detect or even prevent certain diseases at an early stage," say Gabriela Kornek, Medical Director of University Hospital Vienna, CCC Cancer School Management Team, and Shahrokh Shariat, Head of CCC Vienna, in unison.

Early onset, severely affected: cancer risks among Gen X and millennials
Global cancer statistics show that Generation X and Millennials are increasingly affected. "The main risks include a diet high in ultra-processed foods, early use of antibiotics, obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol and possibly endocrine disruptors and other chemicals," said Eva Schernhammer, Head of the Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, MedUni Vienna, in her keynote speech. This trend is also confirmed in Austria: Between 1996 and 2020, there were more than 56,000 cases of disease in young adults. Breast cancer (47.3%), colorectal cancer (12.8%) and lung cancer (11.3%) are the most common. Eva Schernhammer believes that comprehensive preventive measures are necessary to reduce the future burden. "For some types of cancer – especially colorectal cancer – guidelines have already been changed and earlier screening tests proposed and implemented due to the rising numbers," says Schernhammer, adding: "There is an urgent need for research into exposure at a young age and the interactions of various factors throughout life."

Earlier onset of disease in cases of genetic predisposition to breast cancer 
During Cancer Prevention Day, experts will contribute their perspectives, insights and experiences on topics such as "Cancer in children and adolescents" and "What parents should know" in panel discussions. There will also be a focus on the topic of "Genetics as a risk factor". Women with a hereditary risk of breast cancer develop breast cancer on average around 20 years earlier. Christian Singer, Head of the Breast Cancer Centre at the CCC, will provide information on familial predisposition. "Just over 10% of all breast cancer cases occur in families. In about half of these cases – around 5–7% of all breast cancer cases – mutations in one of the two breast cancer genes BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 ("BReast CAncer" genes) are responsible for the disease," says Singer. As an essential first step in preventive care for those with a family history, he recommends genetic counselling by appropriately trained specialists in gynaecology and obstetrics. If genetic testing is appropriate, up to 18 different cancer genes can be detected today.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) for transparent decision-making 
David S. Fischer, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Comprehensive Centre for AI in Medicine, MedUni Vienna, will be talking about the growing importance of artificial intelligence in cancer medicine at Cancer Prevention Day. "Modern cancer diagnostics increasingly uses complex data – imaging techniques, molecular profiles and genetic information. This amount of data far exceeds the interpretation capacity of humans. This is where the strength of AI comes in, providing essential support for transparent decision-making," says Fischer. In a further panel discussion, the topics "Do food and the environment cause cancer?" and "Active against cancer" will be explained.

ENT tumours and HPV – what do they have to do with each other?
HPV (human papillomavirus) is a very common virus that is usually transmitted through sexual contact in young adulthood. Certain types of HPV (especially HPV16) can cause cancer years later. In the ENT area, this mainly affects tumours of the throat (e.g. tonsils). These HPV-related tumours have been increasing significantly for years and differ from tumours caused by smoking or alcohol. They often respond better to treatment. In many Western countries, more than half of throat tumours are now caused by HPV. Young people often acquire the infection and develop cancer later in middle age, even people who have never smoked. Men are affected more often than women overall. "The HPV vaccination provides very effective protection against the most important cancer-causing HPV types, including those that cause throat tumours. It is most effective before the first sexual contact, but is recommended for all young people, especially boys and men. Unfortunately, vaccination rates are still too low here, even though many of these tumours could be prevented," says Isabella Stanisz, a specialist at the University Clinic for ENT, MedUni Vienna, who will give a lecture on HPV and ENT.

Microplastics, nanoplastics and cancer: new findings thanks to innovative detection methods
Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are now ubiquitous and enter the human body via food, water and air. In recent years, the research team led by Lukas Kenner has shown that these particles are not only detectable in human tissue, but can also have biologically relevant effects. The development of new analytical methods represents a decisive advance for cancer and environmental medicine. These methods allow plastic particles to be analysed directly in the context of inflammation, tissue damage and tumour changes – without loss of histological structure. "This combination of innovative analytics and functional biological models opens up new possibilities for systematically investigating the influence of microplastics and nanoplastics on the development and progression of cancer," says Lukas Kenner, Department of Pathology at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, who will be providing information on microplastics and cancer at the Prevention Day.

HPV catch-up vaccination: Successful offer for 21- to 30-year-olds still available until the end of June 2026 
The HPV vaccination is actually only available as part of the free childhood vaccination programme for young people up to the age of 21. Anyone who missed the age limit had to pay for the vaccination themselves, which costs up to several hundred pounds. From July 2024 to 31 December 2025, a catch-up vaccination programme was therefore introduced for people aged between 21 and 30. This deadline is now being extended for all those who have already had their free first vaccination; for them, the second vaccination will be free of charge until 30 June 2026. We at ÖGK see it as our task to actively shape these developments – in the interests of providing care that is close to the people and will continue to be sustainable in the future," emphasises Andreas Krauter, Chief Medical Officer of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund.

Actively using preventive care
Cancer Prevention Day is not only about education and information, but also about actively offering preventive care: the health mobile of the Austrian Society of the Golden Cross offers a free second vaccination to anyone aged 21 to 29 who has received an HPV vaccination by 31 December 2025. The Health Mobil of the Austrian Society of the Golden Cross will also be on site. Those interested can receive free advice from doctors and even get vaccinated on the spot in this mobile health centre without having to make an appointment. Further information and dates for the Health Mobil tour can be found atwww.oeggk.at/health-mobil .

The programme and registration for the Cancer Prevention Day can be found at LINK.