The Generation Risk report, based on a Censuswide survey of 2,000 people, found that fewer than one in four young adults link alcohol, poor diet, or inactivity to cancer risk, despite evidence that 40% of cancers are preventable. Awareness was lowest among younger men, with just 31% of 16-24-year-olds recognising smoking as a cancer risk factor, and 15% of young adults believing there are no cancer risk factors at all.
These findings come amid wider concern about the nation’s health literacy. NHS data shows more than 30% of cancer screening appointments are currently missed, HPV vaccination rates are declining, and as many as 83% of cancer patients encounter misinformation online. Collectively, these issues contribute to later diagnoses, poorer outcomes, and unnecessary anxiety: problems that could be alleviated through better education and early intervention.
“The results are both surprising and alarming. Cancer risk is rising among younger people, yet too few people understand how their everyday choices affect their risk. On top of that, misinformation about cancer is everywhere, leaving many confused or anxious about what’s true.
“Combating misinformation and improving health literacy, through access to clinical experts and engaging, evidence-based content, must be the foundation of every early detection and cancer support strategy. Employers, brokers, and insurers have an important role to play here. By helping to close awareness gaps now, we can protect both people and productivity,” said Kelly McCabe, co-founder and CEO of Perci Health.
The report also found that many women are missing opportunities for prevention, with 35% of those aged 25-44 skipping cervical screenings, often due to confusion about eligibility. Perci Health said this shows that prevention cannot rely on screening alone, but must also focus on building health literacy, tackling misinformation, and offering trusted education and support to help people make informed choices earlier in life.
Younger workers are increasingly calling for more proactive health support in the workplace. Two-thirds of employees aged 25-44 want cancer education integrated into wellbeing programmes, over half believe employers have a responsibility to provide it, and six in ten say they would be more likely to engage with prevention initiatives if they were delivered at work. The call for change comes as cancer rates among 25-49-year-olds have risen by 24% since 1995, more than double the 10% increase among those over 75. In 2019 alone, almost 35,000 younger adults were diagnosed with cancer, equivalent to 100 every day.
The report launches alongside new industry momentum, with Legal & General introducing Perci Guide as part of its Spark health and wellbeing platform. Designed for younger generations, Perci Guide provides prevention-led support through trusted digital channels, combining engaging, clinically validated content with personalised risk insights and live nurse chat. The platform focuses on improving health literacy, encouraging screening and vaccination, countering misinformation, and identifying hereditary risks through genetic counselling and testing.
This trend also reflects a wider shift in expectations around life insurance. The latest Capgemini World Life Insurance Report 2026 found that 41% of under-40s want health and wellness benefits embedded in their policies, while 78% want “living benefits” they can use throughout their lives. However, only 36% of insurers currently offer flexible models, despite 67% of younger customers preferring hybrid approaches that combine digital access with expert support.
Perci Health suggests that by embedding programmes like Perci Guide as living benefits, insurers can meet the expectations of younger consumers, deliver immediate and relevant value, and build long-term engagement and loyalty—while also helping to reduce future claims costs through prevention and early detection.
