Topline
The risk of developing nearly two dozen types of cancer among millennials and Generation X has increased compared to baby boomers, according to a new study. The researchers believe that rising obesity rates and increased consumption of ultra-processed foods among younger generations may be to blame.
An elderly woman battling cancer sits in a high-backed chair as she talks to her oncologist.
Key facts
The study looked at 23.6 million Americans diagnosed with 34 types of cancer, and 7.4 million deaths from 20 different types of cancer among participants who were ages 25 to 84 between 2000 and 2019.
The researchers found that incidence rates for 17 different types of cancer increased sequentially among Generation X and millennials compared to rates among boomers, according to a Lancet study published Wednesday by the American Cancer Society.
Although death rates for most cancers stabilized or declined among younger generations, they increased for uterine corpuscles, liver (women only), gallbladder, testicular, and colorectal cancers.
Among cancers with a higher incidence in millennials compared to boomers, the range was from 12% higher for ovarian cancer to 169% higher for uterine cancer.
Which types of cancer have increased among Generation X and Millennials?
The 17 cancers that increased in younger generations were colorectal cancer, uterine body, gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, myeloma, leukemia, testicular cancer, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, small intestine, ovarian cancer, female liver, female non-HPV associated oral and throat cancer, male anus, male Kaposi’s sarcoma and gastric cardia and non-gastric cardia gastric cancer. According to the study, millennials were two to three times more likely to develop thyroid, pancreatic, small intestine, kidney and renal pelvis cancer than boomers. Gen X had the highest rates among non-HPV-associated mouth and throat cancers compared to the older cohort.
Why have cancer rates increased among younger generations?
The researchers believe that the increase in cancer rates indicates that younger generations are more exposed to carcinogens in their earlier lives than older generations. Of the 17 cancers with higher rates, 10 were related to obesity, so the researchers think rising obesity rates may also play a role. Obesity rates have been rising for decades, and predictions predict that nearly half of the US will be obese by 2030. research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The increase in gastrointestinal cancers could also indicate a change in the gut microbiome due to the diets that younger generations eat, the Lancet researchers said. Several studies have linked diets high in nutrients ultra-processed foods And antibiotics to certain types of cancer, and research has shown that this is the case consumption of ultra-processed foods among Americans has increased significantly since 2001.
Surprising fact
Cervical cancer has decreased dramatically among millennials and Generation X, especially millennial women. This may be related to the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine, the researchers say. The HPV vaccine was first approved in 2006 for girls aged nine to 26, five years before it was approved for use in men. The vaccine has historically speaking seen as the only vaccine for women, even though men also benefit from it.
Crucial quote
“The increase in cancer rates among this younger group of people indicates generational shifts in cancer risk and often serves as an early indicator of the country’s future cancer burden,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior author of the Lancet study and senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society, said in a statement.
