A Troubling Statistic on Young Adults and Cancer Rates
- A report published this week found that the cancer death rate has fallen 33% in just over 30 years in the U.S., a promising statistics that showcases the importance of cancer research, screening, and preventative measures.
- However, some recent stats are more troubling, including one that found increasing rates of cancer cases diagnosed among adults under the age of 50.
- Experts suggest there are many lifestyle factors that could be contributing to this spike, including unhealthy diets, sugary drinks, alcohol, vaping, and more.
- It’s also important to consider that the technology that assesses for cancer and its risks has also improved, contributing to the increasing survival rate.
As of now, the National Cancer Institute reports that the median age for a cancer diagnosis is sixty-six years old but this statistic is changing. Over the last three decades, the chance of developing cancer under the age of fifty has been on a gallop and many medical researchers don't expect the rising rate to lose momentum.
Why is the age for getting a cancer diagnosis skewing younger?
Read MoreThere's a staggering list of other lifestyle issues contributing to the surge in earlier cancer diagnosis: "Unhealthy diets with a lot of processed foods, giant-sized sugary drinks, alcohol, vaping, the use of recreational drugs, as well as higher risk sexual practices which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, HPV or hepatitis, are some of the big ones," Dr. Sagun Shrestha, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America
in Arizona, told SurvivorNet.
That's a lot on the younger generation's plate, but Dr. Shrestha says that it's where the biggest problem should be placed the plate. If she had to point to the number one reason cancer is affecting younger people, it would be our current food supply.
"Nowadays, accessing fast and unhealthy food is much easier than finding a healthy meal," she says. "The accessibility and availability of these fast foods coincide with the fast-moving lifestyles many people live."
But there is some good news. "The technology that assesses for cancer and its risks have also improved," Dr. Quinn points out. "And while cancer among people under fifty years is increasing, survival rates are also increasing."
What the research reveals
A 2022 study out of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, supports the conclusion that the incidence of cancers diagnosed before the age of fifty has been on the rise since 1990, not only in the United States but around the world.
The research, published in the journal, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, reports that some forms of earlier cancer diagnosis are more prevalent than others, such as cancers of the breast, kidney, liver, esophagus and pancreas.
The research team took a three-step approach to their study. They:
- Analyzed global data that tracked the incidence of 14 different types of cancer.
- Looked for studies that examined the possible reasons behind the growing
incidences. - Studied the literature that described clinical and biological tumor characteristics of early-onset cancer, comparing them to later-onset cancers diagnosed after age fifty.
RELATED: More promising news on cancer death rate: Cancer survival could double in a decade
The birth cohort effect
Dr. Shuji Ogino, a professor and physician-scientist in the Department of Pathology at the Brigham and one of the authors of the study, explained in a press statement: "From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time, have a higher risk of developing cancer earlier in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age.
"We found that this risk is increasing with each generation," Ogino adds. "For instance, people born in 1960 experienced higher cancer risk before they turned 50 than people born in 1950 and we predict that this risk level will continue to climb in successive generations."
What else contributes to an earlier risk?
The Brigham study found these additional factors may lead to an early cancer diagnosis:
- Childhood obesity. A higher childhood Body Mass Index (BMI) is associated with diagnosis of overall cancer rates earlier in life. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CCDC) being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of 13 types of cancer. These cancers make up 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year.
- Lack of physical activity. Children even toddlers are spending more time sitting in one place and staring at screens. That's unfortunate because physical inactivity has been linked not only with diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, but also increased cancer risk. When the highest levels of sedentary behavior were compared to the lowest, researchers found a significantly higher risk for three types of cancer colon, endometrial and lung. The link remains somewhat unclear, but experts believe that poor circulation and higher insulin levels in the blood contribute to everything from fatty deposits in the arteries that lead to cardiovascular disease, to cell growth in cancer.
- Smoking. The more years a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day, the more the cancer risk rises. Adolescent smoking appeared to indirectly increase lung cancer risk because it was associated with a longer duration and larger amount of smoking. When someone starts smoking at a young age, they're putting themselves in danger of cancer earlier in life. On the other hand, people who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than the risk for people who never smoked. Quitting smoking at any age can lower the risk of lung cancer.
- Adolescent binge drinking. The risk of mouth, throat and colorectal cancer is increased for young men and women who drink alcohol throughout their lifetime. Plus, young women who drink through their teens and early twenties are more likely to develop breast cancer than those who don't drink during the same period.
- Lack of sleep. Researchers point out that while adults in general are getting the same amount of sleep that they had over their past few decades, kids these days are getting much less sleep than they did decades ago. It's recommended that school-aged children between six and thirteen years get 9-11 hours of sleep each night and teens fourteen to seventeen years get a solid 8-10 hours. Studies show that getting enough sleep is an important element in preventing the development of many diseases including cancer.
- Excess antibiotic use. A UK study raised concerns about the link between the use of antibiotics and increased risk of colorectal cancer in younger adults a disease which has been increasing at a rate of at least 3% per year over the last two decades. The study's data stressed the importance of avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, especially in children and young adults.
- Birth control pills. The longer a woman uses oral contraceptives, the greater the increase in her risk of cervical cancer. One study found a 10% increased risk for less than 5 years of use, a 60% increased risk with 5-9 years of use, and a doubling of the risk with 10 or more years of use.
- Gut microbiome composition. "Among the 14 cancer types on the rise that we studied, eight were related to the digestive system," said lead author of the study, Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, in a press statement. Ugai is also in Brigham's Department of Pathology. "The food we eat feeds the microorganisms in our gut," he added. "Diet directly affects microbiome composition and eventually these limitations can influence the disease risk and outcomes."
Dr. Elizabeth Comen discusses alcohol’s link to breast cancer risk.
Can the trend be stopped or reversed?
Along with the more effective and less-invasive treatments and better tools for diagnosis, there are added rays of hope on the horizon. "We do see a growing number of people becoming conscious of what they eat, and incorporating a more plant-based diet," says Dr. Shrestha. "This, in addition to young people exercising at a greater frequency, can reverse the trend we are currently seeing."
Also, as Dr. Shrestha point outs, a diagnosis at an earlier age does not guarantee the common assumption that the disease will be more aggressive. "It's not necessarily so," she confirms. "Cancer is unique to each individual."
What can we do?
Although better screening may account for earlier cancer diagnosis, the Brigham study has shown us that what we're exposed to early in life affects our risk of developing cancer later on. Since there's no turning back the clock, we can only change what's here and now. With this in mind, Dr. Quinn suggests: "Staying up-to-date with vaccines, especially HPV, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, eating a healthy diet, and limiting substance and alcohol use."
"It's also crucial that people visit their primary care providers for yearly wellness checks," adds Dr. Shrestha. "It's also important to have conversations about family history with their providers to better recommend necessary screenings. This way if they are diagnosed, they are diagnosed earlier and have a greater chance of a better outcome."
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