Gen X and millennials are at greater risk for 17 types of cancer compared to previous generations

A worrying one new study from the American Cancer Society has revealed that Generation X and Millennials are at greater risk of developing many types of cancer than their predecessors. This is consistent with a growing body of evidence showing that some cancers, such as those of the bowel, breast and pancreas, are becoming increasingly common. more common in young people.

This new study looked at data from nearly 24 million cancer patients collected from U.S. cancer registries over a 20-year period starting in 2000. The research team sorted the data by cancer type, gender and birth cohort – in other words, the five – year in which they were born. They also performed a statistical adjustment to take into account the fact that it applies to everyone: the older you get, the greater the chance you have of getting cancer.

By analyzing the figures for the 34 most common cancers (which had at least 200,000 cases over the past two decades), the study provides the most definitive evidence yet of a changing picture of how many people get cancer – and when and why they get cancer. I’m getting it again.

Shockingly, 17 different cancers are becoming increasingly common in the younger cohorts analyzed. For example, people born in 1990 were two to three times as likely to develop cancers of the small intestine, thyroid, kidneys and pancreas than those born in 1955. They also found that people born more recently develop cancer at a younger age. Across all ages and all types of cancer, the most dramatic increase in cancer rates was in the pancreas and small intestine under the age of 30.

In some cases, such as colon cancer, increased incidence among younger generations has even reversed an earlier trend of decline seen in previous generations – suggesting that previous public health gains are now being lost.

Lifestyle and behavior changes

What’s going on? Why are Generation X and Millennials more likely to get certain types of cancer than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations? The answer probably lies in changing lifestyle and behavior.

Poor diet and increasingly sedentary behavior are two likely culprits.

Ten of the 17 cancers identified, such as intestine And chest cancer, have been linked to obesity. The US, like many other countries, is struggling with an obesity epidemic, with rates rising year after year. There are more and more indications that point to this obesity in childhood or early adulthood may increase the risk of certain cancers. A related factor that is likely important is the increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods. These have been associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.

Increased binge drinking, especially among millennial womenwas highlighted by the study authors as a cause of the increased rates of liver and esophageal cancer among this particular cohort.

Meanwhile, in men, they found a U-shaped trend (meaning rates fell after an initial peak and then started to rise again) for Kaposi’s sarcoma and anal cancer – two cancers linked to HIV infection. After a period of declining figures, this trend reversed for cohorts born from the mid-1970s onwards. This mirrors the recent revival of the number of HIV infections in the US.

Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) – a sexually transmitted virus known to cause cervical cancer – may also be a factor in the increase in anal cancers. It is estimated that 90% of anal cancers are caused by HPV infection.

Interestingly, in contrast to the trend seen in anal cancer in men, the study observed a sharp reduction in the risk of cervical cancer in women born in the 1990 birth cohort – the first to be vaccinated against HPV. When HPV vaccines were first rolled out they were only provided to girlsmeaning that young men of this generation will not be protected.

While some of the changes researchers observed in cancer rates can be attributed to generational shifts in lifestyle and behavior with known links to cancer, they cannot explain all of the changes they saw, such as the increase in leukemia. The authors note that more work needs to be done to understand the causes of cancer. Without fully understanding why these cancers are becoming more common, it will be difficult to take appropriate steps to reverse these trends.

The picture is not uniformly bleak, however. Some forms of cancer are becoming less common among younger generations. The study showed a steady decline in the risk of developing lung cancer for successive generations. People born in 1990 are five times less likely to develop the disease than those born in 1955. Similar progress is also beginning to appear for melanoma, with people born in 1990 at lower risk than any other cohort born in the previous 50 years.

These trends reflect the success of public health campaigns targeting them discouraging tobacco use and encouraging sun-safe behavior. They highlight how behavior change and making healthier choices can reduce our risk of developing cancer.

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