Alarming surge in cancer rates among younger generations raises global concern

Recent studies reveal a sharp increase in cancer rates among younger generations, sparking alarm among medical professionals.

Research published in The Lancet Public Health shows that as of 2019, 17 of 34 cancer types are increasingly affecting younger people in the U.S.

A report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) confirms the trend, with new data indicating that colorectal cancer has become a leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50 by 2021.

Experts cite lifestyle, environmental factors, and possibly even COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as potential contributors to this rise.

Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society (ACS), warned that if these trends among Gen X and millennials persist, they could potentially reverse decades of progress in reducing cancer mortality.

Further data from the ACS’s “Cancer Statistics, 2024” report indicates that as of 2021, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death among men under 50 and the second leading cause among women, a significant shift from the late 1990s.

READ ALSO: Study shows tattoos may raise risk of cancer

Researchers are exploring various potential causes, including lifestyle, environmental factors, and even COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The World Health Organization predicts a 77% rise in global cancer cases by 2050, highlighting the urgent need for action and further research to combat this troubling trend.

As of 2021, among adults under 50, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second-leading cause in women, despite ranking fourth for both sexes in the late 1990s.

Some researchers point to lifestyle, poverty and environmental factors as potential causes for the uptick in cancers, while others suggest the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may be to blame for the rise in “turbo cancers.”

Meanwhile, Pfizer in December 2023 spent $43 billion for Seagan, a “cancer care” biotech company with only $2.2 billion in sales. Seagan’s already-approved drugs include those for bladder cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

The acquisition expands Pfizer’s oncology portfolio to 25 approved drugs, which, by the second quarter of this year, helped the company recover from last year’s drop in COVID-19 vaccine sales when its stock lost half its value.

READ ALSO: Colorectal cancer cases are increasing among kids. Here’s what you need to know

The cancer trend has also caught the attention of health organizations worldwide, including the World Health Organization, which in February predicted a 77% rise in new cancer cases — from 20 million cases in 2022 to over 35 million cases by 2050.

The Lancet study revealed disturbing trends in cancer rates for people born between 1920 and 1990, finding that through 2019, incidence rates for 17 of 34 cancer types analyzed were increasing in progressively younger birth cohorts.

For some cancers, the incidence rate was approximately 1 to 3 times higher in the 1990 birth cohort (people in their late 20s at the time of the study) compared to the 1955 birth cohort (people in their mid-60s at the time of the study).

Particularly concerning were the increases in cancers of the small intestine (256% higher), kidney and renal pelvis (192% higher), and pancreas in both males and females (161% higher). For women, liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer rates also saw a significant uptick (105% higher).

In younger cohorts, cancer incidence also increased for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, uterine corpus (endometrial) cancer, colorectal cancer, non-cardia gastric (stomach) cancer, gallbladder and other biliary cancer, ovarian cancer, and testicular cancer, anal cancer and Kaposi sarcoma in males.

For those around 30 years old, cancer rates increased an average of 12% across all cancer types.

The study also noted that mortality rates mirrored incidence trends for several cancers, including liver cancer in females, uterine corpus, gallbladder and other biliary, testicular and colorectal cancers. This suggests that the increase in incidence is substantial enough to outweigh improvements in cancer survival rates.