A recent study published in the Lancet by the American Cancer Society has found that the probability of developing almost 20 types of cancers has increased among millennials and Generation X compared to baby boomers. The study looked at 23.6 million Americans diagnosed with 34 types of cancer and 7.4 million deaths from 20 different cancers between the ages of 25 and 84 from 2000 to 2019.
The researchers found that the incidence rates for 17 different types of cancers have successively increased among Generation X and millennials when compared to rates among boomers. While death rates for most cancer types stabilized or decreased among younger generations, they increased for uterine corpus, liver (only in women), gallbladder, testicular, and colorectal cancers.
The researchers believe that the increase in cancer rates among younger generations may be due to rising obesity rates and more consumption of ultra-processed foods. The study found that 10 of the 17 cancers with higher rates were obesity-related. Obesity rates have been increasing for decades, and it is predicted that almost half of the U.S. population will be obese by 2030.
Interestingly, cervical cancer drastically decreased among millennials and Gen X, particularly in millennial women. This decrease may be linked to the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine, which was first approved in 2006 for girls between nine and 26, five years before it was approved for use in men.
Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior author of the study and senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society, stated that the increase in cancer rates among younger generations indicates generational shifts in cancer risk and could serve as an early indicator of future cancer burden in the country.