Alarming: Rising cancer rates among younger generations

😲 Cancer rates are on the rise in younger people, new study suggests

😲 Millennials and Gen Xers have a higher risk of developing 17 cancer types

😲 Modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors are to blame

An alarming new study led by researchers at The American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests newly diagnosed cancer rates continue to rise in younger generations like millennials and Gen Xers, in 17 of the 34 cancer types.

The study looked at the cancer rates across the generations based on older generations like baby boomers and those within Gen X, said ACS Vice President of Community Impact, Natasha Coleman.

“Typically, we see a higher incidence rate in those older than 65. But now the trend has moved to the younger generations,” Coleman said. Higher rates of cancer are being diagnosed in those between 25 and 45 years old.

These cancers include breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers or colorectal cancers. Also, mortality rates increased in conjunction with the incidence of liver (female only), uterine, gallbladder, testicular, and colorectal cancers, she said.

About 30 years ago, these high rates of cancer diagnoses were found in the older generations, Coleman said. But now, this has shifted to younger individuals.

In the analysis, researchers obtained incidence data from almost 24,000,000 patients diagnosed with 34 types of cancer and mortality data from nearly 7,400,000 deaths for 25 types of cancer for individuals aged 25-84 from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2019, from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

Why are so many younger people being diagnosed with cancer?

Coleman said ACS researchers are noticing changes in a person’s “modifiable risk factors.” These are the risk factors that a person has control of such as diet, the amount of daily physical exercise, and where they live.

“Access to health care is a huge factor. It depends on where you live. Your zip code always determines what type of care you receive,” Coleman said.

But there also “unmodifiable risk factors” that play a big part in a person’s cancer diagnosis. These are the risk factors an individual cannot change and has no control over. These include family history and genetic makeup.

“We’re seeing that in younger generations, they are having a family history or a genetic predisposition. So, that means that someone in their family has also been diagnosed with this cancer and we’re seeing the younger population now, also being diagnosed with these same cancers,” Coleman explained.

ACS researchers stressed the need for interventions to address this issue. They continue to work with hospitals, primary care physicians, and cancer centers.

Coleman stressed the importance of people going to the doctor for regular checkups, regular screening exams, and speaking to the doctor about their family history. For example, if a person’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at a certain age, that person should let the doctor know, and ask when they should start getting screened for breast cancer.

It's important to have that conversation with a healthcare provider and understand one’s own risk factors.

The ACS works with healthcare providers to make sure policies are in place within that practice that identifies those high-risk patients, and encourages communication between the doctor and the patient, Coleman said.

ACS is also urging lawmakers to expand Medicaid in states, as well as continuing to advocate for making permanent the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax subsidies that have opened the door to access to care for millions of people in the U.S.

Without effective population-level interventions, the elevated risk in younger generations will carry over as they age. An overall increase in cancer burden could result in the future, as a result, the study found.

Results of the study were published in the journal, The Lancet Public Health.

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