Cancer rates are rising among younger generations, according to a recent study published in Lancet Public Health. The research highlights a troubling trend: Generation X and Millennials are experiencing a dramatic increase in the incidence of 17 different types of cancers. This rise in cancer rates appears to be closely linked to the growing obesity epidemic.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) conducted a comprehensive analysis of data from nearly 24 million patients diagnosed with 34 types of cancer between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019. This dataset includes over 7 million fatal cancer cases.
The ACS findings reveal a significant escalation in cancer incidence for 17 of these types among Generation X and Millennials. Notably, many of these cancers—such as colorectal, uterine corpus, gallbladder and other biliary tract cancers, kidney and renal pelvis cancers, and pancreatic cancer—are known to be associated with obesity.
Despite this correlation, the study’s authors only indirectly address obesity as a potential factor in the increase in cancer rates. They suggest that the surge in cancer cases among younger generations might be due to rising exposure to carcinogens during early life or young adulthood.
However, they acknowledge that these exposures have yet to be fully identified and understood. The authors emphasize the need for intervention strategies that take into account the social and cultural contexts, values, and preferences of younger generations.
In contrast, several external experts argue that the data strongly suggests obesity as a significant contributing factor to the rising cancer rates. Obesity is known to cause various metabolic changes in the body, including elevated levels of free fatty acids in the blood.
These fatty acids are associated with an increased risk of cancer, as well as other serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Timothy Rebbeck, a professor of cancer prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, elaborates on this connection. He explains that obesity leads to chronic inflammation, which over time can cause extensive damage to cells and tissues. This ongoing damage increases the likelihood of cancer developing. “When someone is obese, a lot of things change in the body,” Rebbeck told Yahoo Life. “Chronic inflammation results in years of damage to cells and tissues, which can ultimately lead to cancer.”
The study authors express concern that, without effective population-level interventions, the continued rise in cancer rates among younger generations could reverse decades of progress in cancer prevention and treatment. They warn that this trend could lead to a significant increase in the overall cancer burden in the future, highlighting the urgent need for targeted strategies to address both obesity and cancer prevention.
