Gen X and Millennials at Greater Risk for These 17 Types of Cancer, Study Finds
Millennials and Gen X’ers are at higher risk for 17 types of cancers, new research finds.
The rate of diagnosis was about two to three times higher among those born in 1990 than those born in 1955 for several cancer types.
Experts explain the findings and how to lower your cancer risk.
Between millennials and Gen X, there are some notable generational differences. For starters, Gen-X—born between 1965 and 1980—came into the world on the cusp of cell phones, the internet, and social media, while most millennials—born between 1981 and 1996—grew up when these things were already a regular part of life. However, new research shows that both these generations have something worryingly in common—they’re at higher risk for 17 types of cancers.
A study published in The Lancet Public Health looked at data on more than 23 million patients diagnosed with 34 types of cancer and more than 7 million people who died of 25 types of cancer. The data, which came from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, included adults 25 to 84 years old, from January 2000 through December 2019. The researchers then calculated cancer incidence rates and cancer death rates by the participants’ birth years, separated by five-year intervals, from 1920 to 1990.
Out of the 34 cancers studied, 17 saw an increase of diagnoses in a younger demographic (which included millennials and Generation X) than in older generations.
What are the 17 cancers?
They are:
Gastric cardia
Small intestinal
Estrogen receptor-positive breast
Ovarian
Liver and intrahepatic bile duct in women
Non-HPV-associated oral and pharynx cancers in women
Anal
Colon and rectal
Uterine corpus
Gallbladder and other biliary
Kidney and renal pelvis
Pancreatic
Myeloma
Non-cardia gastric
Testicular
Leukemia
Kaposi sarcoma, which affects the lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels, in men
Most profoundly, the rate was about two to three times higher among those born in 1990 than among those born in 1955 for pancreatic, kidney, and small intestinal cancers in both men and women and for liver cancer in women.
So, why might millennials and Gen X’ers be at higher risk for these cancers? Well, this rise is likely due to early life or young adulthood exposure to an environmental factor or factors that once they’re identified, we hope they can be modified and eliminated, says Nelly Awkar-Lazo, M.D., hematologist and oncologist with The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation. “Some of the suspected risk factors are dietary including excessive consumption of saturated fats, refined grains, processed food/meat and red meat, sugar and sugary sweetened drinks as well as sedentary lifestyle and inactivity during adolescence and young adulthood.” Still, more research is needed to identify underlying risk factors responsible for these trends to inform prevention strategies, Dr. Lazo points out.
Researchers also found that 10 of the 17 cancers with increasing incidence in younger peopole are related to obesity: colon and rectal, kidney and renal pelvis, gallbladder and other biliary, uterine corpus, pancreas, cardia gastric, estrogen receptor-positive breast, ovary, myeloma, and liver and bile duct.
Research shows that excess body fat increases the risk for multiple types of cancer, including colorectal, esophageal, kidney, pancreatic, post-menopausal breast, and uterine cancer in women, says Dr. Lazo. “It is still unclear how obesity increases the risk of cancer, but it’s largely believed that it’s due to the inflammation caused by visceral fat leading to carcinogenesis (cancer development),” he explains.
It’s important to point out that this study ended before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the data may not be an accurate representation of life and cancer rates today.
The bottom line
If you fall into the millennial or Gen X groups, there are still some things you can do every day to lower your cancer risk. “Lower the consumption of saturated fats, refined grains, processed food/ meat and red meat, sugar, and sugary sweetened drinks,” Dr. Lazo advises. You should also seek medical attention and talk to your doctor about any symptoms that are constant and lasting for a long period of time, especially pain, rectal bleeding, or excessive vaginal bleeding, Dr. Lazo adds. “Cancer detection at early stages can lead to an increased chance of successful treatment,” he says.
Many individuals in this age group (millennials and Gen X) are too young for recommended routine cancer screenings—for example, mammography screening typically starts at age 40, Dr. Lazo notes. “But women with a family history of breast cancer are generally advised to start when they are 10 years younger than the first-degree relative (a mother and/or sister) was at their time of diagnosis. and colonoscopies at age 45,” he says.
Busy lives make it difficult to keep up with routine primary care visits, where family history might prompt a doctor to suggest an earlier screening, Dr. Lazo notes. Others may not go to the doctor because they believe their health problems are not serious enough to warrant a visit. This can result in diagnosis delays, which raise the risk of cancer potentially being diagnosed at a more advanced stage, which may be harder to treat, Dr. Lazo warns. So, be your own best advocate for your health and stay on top of your regular check-ups!
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