Topline
Researchers found that cancer rates in younger Americans, especially women and Asian or Pacific Islanders, are on the rise, with some experts believing lifestyle changes—like drinking alcohol excessively, obesity and overconsumption of processed, “westernized” foods—are to blame.
An illustration of cancer cells.
Key Facts
A new study published in JAMA Network Open discovered cancer rates in Americans under the age of 50 slightly increased by 1% between 2010 and 2019—and the group with the largest increase was those aged 30 to 39, with an increase of 19%.
However, cancer rates in patients aged 50 years and older decreased between 2010 and 2019.
Researchers looked at data from 17 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 and found over 560,000 incidences of early-onset cancer (or cancer in people under the age of 50).
With a 32% spike, Asian or Pacific Islander patients under 50 saw the biggest increases in cancer, while Hispanic patients had a 28% increase and Black patients had an almost 5% decline.
There was a 4.4% increase in early-onset cases among women, while men saw a 5% decline—researchers believe a spike in breast cancer may have caused the case rise in women.
Breast cancer had the highest case rates while gastrointestinal cancers—including the appendix, colon and bile duct—had the fastest-growing incidence rates, with a 15% increase in early-onset cases during this time.
Crucial Quote
“The increase in early-onset cancers is likely associated with the increasing incidence of obesity, as well as changes in environmental exposures, such as smoke and gasoline, sleep patterns, physical activity, microbiota and transient exposure to carcinogenic compounds,” the study researchers wrote.
Big Number
80,000. That’s how many Americans between the ages of 20 and 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year, totaling about 5% of all cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer is the fourth most common cause of death, the leading cause of death by disease for women and the second most common cause of death by disease for men in this age group, only second to heart disease. Though women in this demographic are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, younger men and women die from cancer at equal rates.
Key Background
In the U.S., people aged 65 years and older make up most of the cancer cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. A 2022 study published in Nature found several types of early-onset cancers, including breast, liver, kidney, pancreas and colon, increased worldwide. The researchers believe that “changes in risk factor exposure” are to blame. This includes eating more processed or “westernized” foods, lifestyle changes and environmental changes. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School looked into why more people under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with cancer, and they found that the risk increases with each generation, so risk levels are estimated to rise with each new generation. According to cancer treatment and research center City of Hope, several cancer risk factors affect young adults: Smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol excessively, being overweight or obese, using oral birth control, having kids at a late age, getting too little sleep and having the first menstrual period at a young age.
Further Reading
Dramatic rise in cancer in people under 50 (Harvard Gazette)