The Youngest Generations Face Higher Risk of 17 Different Cancers

A recent study published in the Lancet Public Health journal examined the incidence rats and mortality of the 34 most common forms of cancer, finding that 17 of them were rising in the youngest generations. 9 types of cancer had previously declining incidence rates, and suggest that younger generations have been exposed to far greater risks, such as higher quantities of carcinogenic compounds, and worse dietary and lifestyle choices. The authors believe that population level interventions are needed otherwise we may risk losing all the progress made in the last several decades in treating cancer.

The study found that the most common cancers for younger generations were:

• Pancreatic cancer
• Thyroid Cancer
• Liver cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Leukemia
• Cancer of the small intestine
• Kidney cancer
• Bile Duct Cancer
• Oral and pharyngeal cancers
• Colon cancer
• Testicular Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Breast cancer

(Sung et al., 2024)

All of these have increasing incidence rates among Gen X and Millennials. The authors speculate that the rise in other diseases like type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome might be related, along with increasingly unhealthy diets, alcohol use and chemical exposures. They believe that dietary shifts towards refined grains, ultra-processed food, and sugar, combined with a lack of exercise, may be important causal factors. They cite that multiple other studies have found that oral and gastroinstinal cancers in particular, have been linked to microbial dysbiosis of the intestines. However, the authors write that the true causes remain to be discovered and require further similar studies.

Sources

Sung, Hyuna et al., (2024). Difference in cancer rates among adults born between 1920 and 1990 in the USA: An analysis of population-based cancer registry data. August, 2024DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00156-7_