Experts are sounding the alarm as rates of 17 types of cancer in millennials and Gen Xers have risen dramatically in recent years, a new study shows. For certain types of cancer, people born in 1990 face two to three times higher risks than people born in 1955, according to research published in the journal Lancet Public Health. The findings reflect the recent worrying increase in young people developing colorectal cancer, but add more forms of the disease to the list of concerns.
It’s too early to say what’s driving the rise in what experts call “early-onset” cancers, but they warn it’s not just due to better screening; People are dying from these diseases at rates and ages never seen in their parents’ generations.
Here’s what you should know about generational cancer risk and what you can do to reduce yours.
What did the new study find?
Researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) assessed rates of 34 different cancers among those born between 1920 and 1990, based on how many were diagnosed with or died from the disease from 2000 to 2019.
On average, rates of 17 types of cancer, including pancreatic, breast and stomach cancer, have increased with each new generation since 1920, the study found. Previous ACS research showed that rates of 11 types of cancer, including pancreatic, colorectal, kidney, uterine and testicular cancer, were increasing among young adults. The new study added eight more types of cancer to that list:
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Gastric cardia cancer (a cancer of the stomach lining)
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Small intestine cancer
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Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer
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ovarian cancer
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Liver and bile duct cancer
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Mouth and pharyngeal cancer not associated with HPV (in women only)
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Anal cancer (in men only)
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Kaposi’s sarcoma (a cancer of the lining of blood vessels and lymph nodes, in men only)
Rates have doubled or even tripled for some of these cancers, including kidney, pancreatic and small bowel cancers, in people of both sexes. For women, the incidence of liver cancer has increased two- to three-fold since the 1920s. Even cancers that seemed to be on the decline for baby boomers and other older generations — including some breast cancers and testicular cancer — are now again a greater risk for millennials and Generation X, the study concluded.
More young people are also dying from some of these cancers; Mortality from colorectal, gallbladder, testicular and uterine cancer has increased over generations, as has the death rate from liver cancer, but only for women. “This really stood out because the simultaneous increase in mortality [and diagnoses] suggests that what we see is not just an artifact due to potentially more frequent screenings and diagnoses,” lead study author and senior principal scientist for health equity surveillance and science at ACS, Hyuna Sung, told Yahoo Life. “Instead, it indicates a genuine increase in risk, with increases in incidence sufficient to outweigh improvements” in diagnosis and treatment.
Why is this happening?
While the new study doesn’t answer why this is happening, Sung and other experts have a prime suspect in their sights: obesity. Ten of the 17 cancers that are becoming more common across generations were linked to obesitynoted the study authors.
Research to find out exactly how obesity may contribute to or cause cancer is ongoing, but there are some leading theories, Timothy Rebbeck, professor of cancer prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told Yahoo Life. “When someone is obese, many things change in the body, including chronic inflammation that leads to years and years of damage to the body’s cells and tissues, which can lead to cancer,” he explains.
According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, may not directly be a person’s body mass index (BMI); instead, changes in insulin sensitivity and an increase in certain hormones can fuel uncontrolled cell growth and, in turn, lead to cancer.
The coinciding rise in obesity and cancer rates, especially among young adults, suggests that the problem may begin in childhood or perhaps even before people are born, Rebbeck says. “This process of cell damage starts earlier and earlier, so if there is an interval of 20 years since exposure to obesity and it starts at the age of 10, it is around the age of 30 or 40 that the risk of cancer appears”, he supposes. The timelines also suggest that there may be other environmental exposures early in life, including factors such as antibiotic use or diet that can alter gut bacteria, which can influence a person’s cancer risk.
What you can do to reduce your risks
While the findings are alarming, experts say not to worry too much. Here’s why: “Cancers diagnosed before age 50 are still relatively rare,” says Rebbeck. Only about 350 of every 100,000 cancer cases diagnosed each year are found in people between the ages of 45 and 49, according to the National Cancer Institute. “It’s not something that should cause people to panic… but we want people to be informed and start doing things that can have an impact,” says Rebbeck.
This just means making simple changes to live the healthiest lifestyle possible and reduce your cancer risks, experts say, by doing your best to maintain a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet low in ultra-processed foods and plant-rich red meat and fish like salmon, drink minimally and don’t smoke. “None of these things are easy, but they are the ones we can recommend,” says Rebbeck.
It’s also important to know your family history and see a doctor if you notice any changes that could be an early sign of cancer. For young people, there are “unique symptoms” of some cancers, such as colorectal cancer, including “fatigue, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, changed bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss, which are actually considered warning signs of early-onset cancer.” precocious”. says Sung.
