The News
Gen X and millennials in the US are more likely to develop 17 kinds of cancer compared to past generations, a study from the American Cancer Society found.
For some forms of the disease, like pancreatic, kidney, and small intestinal cancers, the incident rate was between two and three times higher among people born in 1990 than in people born in 1955. The research, which looked at rates for 34 different cancers, also found that mortality increased for some, including endometrial, testicular, and colorectal cancer.
There is a growing body of evidence showing that, after the Baby Boomer generation, young people in America have become increasingly vulnerable to cancer.
“Although we have identified cancer trends associated with birth years, we don’t yet have a clear explanation for why these rates are rising,” one of the researchers said in a statement.
SIGNALS
Lifestyle choices may add up to increased risk, but there’s no smoking gun
The exact reasons why more younger people are developing cancer are not clear, the American Cancer Society study said. The trend “reflects increased exposure to carcinogenic factors during early life or young adulthood,” the report added, but more research is needed to determine what these exposures are. The researchers pointed out that 10 of the 17 cancers are related to obesity, so rising rates of childhood obesity might play a role, but the study didn’t test for that factor. Similarly, diets that include a lot of processed food, salt, and red meat, as well high alcohol consumption, smoking, and sitting more could contribute. Genetics could also be a factor, The Guardian’s health editor wrote in 2023.
Increased generational risk could undo decades of progress
Some one in five people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, the American Cancer Society recently estimated. The increased risk of cancer among younger generations has already translated into more people needing medical attention, the American Cancer Society wrote, and it could get worse as these same generations age. What this means is that if the risks causing the uptick among younger generations aren’t addressed, then it’s likely that cancer rates and the burden of treating the disease will grow, potentially undoing some of the progress made against the disease’ lethal ability, one researcher warned. Key will be awareness and prevention, Harvard Public Health wrote, as well as increased access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare.
Results of Biden’s ‘Cancer Moonshot’ remain to be seen, its future uncertain
Increased prevention and better access to healthcare were two goals of the Biden administration in its revamp of the so-called Cancer Moonshot, an Obama-era policy to boost cancer research. The jury’s out on whether it worked, Politico wrote. As of March, the increased government funding and support for cancer research under the initiative had yielded thousands of scientific publications, 49 clinical trials, and 30 patent filings, but didn’t seem on track to cut cancer deaths in half over 25 years, its main objective. And the future for research funding is uncertain come November: Kamala Harris supports more research investment, partly due to her mother’s work as a breast cancer researcher, Stat News noted, while Trump has criticized the initiative, and Republicans in general have stopped supporting funding.