A new report reveals alarming cancer trends, showing women under 50 are significantly more likely to be diagnosed than men.
New York: Cancer is taking a worrying turn in the U.S. A recent report from the American Cancer Society highlights that women and younger folks are facing a bigger cancer burden, even as overall cancer deaths drop.
For instance, women aged 50 to 64 now have higher cancer rates than men. Even more shocking, women under 50 are 82% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than men, a big jump from 51% back in 2002.
This rise is largely due to increases in breast and thyroid cancers, which now make up nearly half of all cancers in people under 50, mostly affecting women. Meanwhile, men under 50 are seeing fewer diagnoses for common cancers like melanoma and prostate cancer.
So, what’s behind this trend? Dr. Richard Barakat from Northwell Health Cancer Institute suggests lifestyle changes are a big part of it. For example, women in the U.S. are having kids later or not at all, which might mean they miss out on the protective benefits of pregnancy and breastfeeding against breast cancer.
Plus, heavy drinking is on the rise among women, which is a major risk factor for breast cancer. This could also be contributing to the increase, according to Barakat.
Women under 50 have always had a higher cancer rate than men, mainly due to breast cancer. The report comes after a warning from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about the link between alcohol and cancer, suggesting warning labels on alcoholic drinks like those on cigarettes.
Another area of concern is lung cancer. From 2012 to 2021, lung cancer cases dropped overall, but for the first time, women under 65 have surpassed men in new cases. Barakat notes that women started smoking later than men and may be slower to quit.
There’s also a troubling rise in cervical cancer. After years of decline thanks to the HPV vaccine, women aged 30 to 44 saw an 11% increase in cervical cancer diagnoses from 2013 to 2021. Barakat points to rising vaccine hesitancy and women delaying gynecological visits as possible reasons.
Obesity is another factor. Federal data shows that women are more likely to be obese than men, and younger generations are heavier than their parents and grandparents. Barakat emphasizes that lifestyle changes could significantly reduce cancer risks.
Changes in screening guidelines might also explain the rising rates of certain cancers among younger people. For instance, the recommended age for mammograms was lowered from 50 to 40 last year, leading to earlier detection of breast and thyroid cancers.
While overall cancer survival rates are improving, some cancers are on the rise, including those of the oral cavity, pancreas, uterine corpus, and liver. The ACS estimates that by 2025, there will be over 2 million new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. and around 618,120 cancer deaths.
