Cancer Gaining on Younger Adults
Rates
of leading cancers are projected to rise among the U.S. demographic
group known as Generation X—people born between 1965 and 1980, a new
study concludes. The startling result is so pronounced that Gen X is
expected to have a higher cancer rate than their parents and
grandparents, reports Scientific American editor Lauren J. Young. The finding held for numerous cancers, including colon, rectal, thyroid, ovarian, prostate and kidney.
How they did it: Researchers examined data collected between 1992 and 2018 on 3.8 million people in the U.S. with invasive cancer—cancer that has spread beyond its original site. The team was particularly interested in patterns among birth cohorts such as Gen X, Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation.
What the experts say:
“It’s very clear to us that cancer is evolving from a disease which has
traditionally been considered a disease of aging to one which affects,
really, all age groups,” says gastroenterologist Andrew Chan.
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Gen X and Cancer:
In total, we analyzed 3.8 million cases of incident cancer occurring over 521 million person-years (eTable 2 in Supplement 1).
Overall, 51.0% of individuals were male (compared with 49.0% female)
and 71.5% were non-Hispanic White (compared with 8.6% Asian or Pacific
Islander, 9.5% Hispanic, and 10.4% non-Hispanic Black).
MORE:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819747