A new study says that people born between 1965 and 1980, called Gen X, are getting more cancer than their parents and grandparents. Scientists don’t know why this is happening. They think it might be because of changes in what we eat or how much we exercise. Some think cancers might be changing and becoming harder to treat.
The study, in JAMA Network Open, looked at cancer records from 1992 to 2018 for 3.8 million people in the U.S. They checked cases of cancer that spread to other parts of the body. They compared Generation X to older groups like Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. The study found that some cancers, like colon, rectal, thyroid, ovarian, and prostate cancers, are getting more common even though medicine is getting better.
Andrew Chan, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, did not take part in the study. He says younger people are getting more cancer. The study confirmed this and gave more details on cancer trends.
Philip Rosenberg, a co-author of the study, works at the National Cancer Institute. He says social generations help group people for study. This helps find trends and link them to events like new risks or lifestyle changes. This could help prevent certain cancers.
Past studies show people under 50 are getting more digestive system cancers. Colon cancer is rising in younger people. The new study found this trend in Generation X and other cancers. Rosenberg says many cancer types surprised him.
Gen X to See More Thyroid, Kidney, and Colon Cancers
Rosenberg and Adalberto Miranda-Filho think more people in Generation X will get certain cancers. Thyroid, kidney, rectum, and colon cancers will go up. Women will have more pancreatic, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Men will get more prostate cancers and leukemia. Lung cancer will go down for everyone. Men will see fewer liver and gallbladder cancers. Women will have less cervical cancer.
Some things are getting better. Better tests make it easier to find and treat cervical cancer. Less smoking means fewer lung cancers. New tests and genetic checks help find cancer early. But sometimes cancer is still found when it’s very advanced.
Scientists are trying to figure out why cancer rates are going up. They think diet, exercise, and being overweight might be reasons. Other reasons are still unknown. Chan is leading a study on young people who get cancer without family history or known risks.
Food processing changes and environmental exposures like pollution might play a role. Changes in gut bacteria may also influence cancer rates. Researchers are studying if cancers in young people are biologically different.
Researchers agree many factors cause cancer rates to rise. More research on early life risks is needed. Cancer develops over decades. Age remains a key factor in cancer risk.
Data is too limited to predict cancer rates for Millennials and Generation Z. But if trends continue, cancer rates will rise. Rosenberg says there’s still time to change this. He hopes the study will aid cancer prevention and research.
Cancer affects all age groups now. Chan says better prevention approaches are needed. Understanding who is at risk will help target efforts and reduce cancer rates.
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