A recent research study conducted by the American Cancer Society has shown that Generation X and Millennials in the United States are at a higher risk of developing various types of cancer compared to older generations.
To assess cancer rates across generations, the study calculated incidence and mortality rate ratios for specific birth cohorts, taking into account age and period effects. These cohorts were categorized by five-year birth intervals from 1920 to 1990.
The results indicated an increase in cancer incidence rates among younger generations for 17 out of the 34 cancer types studied, including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers.
The study also noted a rise in mortality trends corresponding to the increased incidence of liver (in females only), uterine corpus, gallbladder, testicular, and colorectal cancers.
Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the incidence rate for eight of the 34 cancers was around two to three times higher in the 1990 birth cohort compared to the 1955 birth cohort.
Several cancers, such as pancreatic, kidney, and small intestinal cancers in both males and females, as well as liver cancer in females, showed higher incidence rates in the 1990 birth cohort than the 1955 birth cohort.
Additionally, incidence rates rose in younger cohorts for nine other cancers, including breast cancer, uterine corpus cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, gallbladder cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, anal cancer in males, and Kaposi sarcoma in males.
Ahmedin Jemal, a senior vice president at the American Cancer Society, emphasized the importance of identifying and addressing underlying risk factors in younger populations to inform prevention strategies and prevent a potential increase in cancer burden.
The study suggests that the surge in cancer incidence among younger generations may be linked to changes in early life or young adulthood exposures, including lifestyle, diet, obesity, and environmental factors. Notably, ten of the 17 cancers with increasing incidence are obesity-related, indicating a possible connection between obesity and emerging cancer trends.
The authors of the study call for further research to explore the mechanisms contributing to the heightened cancer incidence and to develop interventions that align with the social and cultural contexts of younger generations. They stress the importance of effective prevention strategies in reducing the future cancer burden.
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