Generation X (that’s everyone born between 1965 and 1980) has witnessed some incredible feats in their lifetime, from the Space Race to the birth of the Internet. They’re known for being the first generation to chat on a clunky car phone, and for popularizing some classic, nostalgic movies like The Breakfast Club. Something significant they’re also beginning to be known for, unfortunately, is high cancer rates.
While some types of cancer are thankfully on the decline, others are increasingly affecting younger populations, particularly those who are in their forties and fifties. A new study found that Gen X, along with millennials, are getting diagnosed with 17 types of cancer more frequently, including nine types that were previously on the decline in older adults. Published in The Lancet, the study doesn’t explain exactly why this is happening, but researchers suspect that obesity is a key factor.
The research team used cancer diagnosis and death data from two major databases to analyze trends in people born between 1920 and 1990, focusing on those diagnosed with cancer from 2000 to 2019. They looked at 34 types of cancer, covering nearly 24 million diagnoses and over 7 million deaths. The study revealed that of the 17 cancers, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers are becoming more common. Some potential risk factors the study highlights include lack of exercise, unbalanced diets, and environmental exposure to chemicals (more on all of those later).
This news comes on the heels of another recently published study involving 3.8 million people with invasive cancer. It found that Generation X is also experiencing higher increases in cancer rates compared to any previous generation born between 1908 and 1964. For some cancers, such as lung and cervical cancers, there has been a noticeable decline, largely attributed to successful public health campaigns and improved screening methods. However, other cancers, including breast, kidney, endometrial, and pancreatic cancers, are seeing a rise in younger age groups. In Generation X women, significant declines in lung and cervical cancers have been outweighed by increases in thyroid, kidney, rectal, corpus, colon, pancreatic, ovarian cancers, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and leukemia.
What are the contributing factors to these statistics, and are there any recommendations for mitigating these risks? Here’s what we know so far.
There are better diagnostic techniques.
“The first factor is the improvement in radiology, technique, modality, equipment, and a broadly implemented screening strategy for major cancers,” says Dr. Jennifer Lang, a Flow Space Advisory Council member and board-certified OB/GYN specializing in preventive oncology, who spoke to Flow Space recently on increased cancer rates in Gen X, but was not involved in the new study. “So that’s an improvement in CT scans, mammography, colonoscopy, and MRI technology. We might be catching more cancers early, whereas with less sensitive screening policies or modality, we could be missing cancers.”
Obesity rates are higher than ever.
According to both studies, another contributing factor could be linked to obesity. Obesity rates have continued to climb within the last several years. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects about 44% of people ages 40 to 59 living in the U.S. What’s more, obesity is responsible for 18% of deaths in adults over 40. While observational studies cannot definitively prove that obesity causes cancer, there is consistent evidence linking higher body fat levels to an increased risk of various cancers.
In fact, adipose tissue, or fat tissue, produces excess amounts of estrogen. Elevated levels of estrogen have been linked to increased risks of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and various other cancers. The National Cancer Institute also reports that people with obesity often have high blood levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). This condition, called hyperinsulinemia, is caused by insulin resistance and can lead to type 2 diabetes, another cancer risk factor. The National Cancer Institute emphasizes that high levels of insulin and IGF-1 may promote the development of colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancers.
There’s been an increased environmental exposure to pesticides.
These results raise the question of what the cancer experience will be like for the 72 million Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) as they enter their forties, fifties, and sixties. The study shows that the parents of millennials are experiencing as much or more cancer than Generation X’s parents, likely due to shared lifestyle factors and exposures. However, thanks to global investment in cancer research, there are significant opportunities to reduce the future cancer burden for Millennials. Dr. Lang believes one of those opportunities lies within mitigating carcinogenic pesticides.
“Since 1995, with the introduction of genetically modified organisms, people have been spraying thousands of tons of these carcinogenic pesticides onto our crops,” says Dr. Lang. “About 100 percent of non-organic corn is GMO corn, which is literally sprayed with this carcinogenic. Not to mention the other pesticides. We are increasingly understanding the complex relationship between the microbiome and cancer prevention. Our whole immune system seems to be in part regulated by a healthy gut microbiome. So we need an intact immune system to scavenge and destroy cancer cells.”
When our gut microbiome consumes pesticides — which are literally sprayed on all foods and not nearly removed by quickly rinsing them under water — it can lead to significant health issues, Dr. Lang adds. Numerous studies have shown a link between pesticide exposure and cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia. Some studies even found that higher doses of pesticides mean higher risks and identified specific pesticides responsible, according to data published on the National Library of Medicine.
Is there anything you can do to reduce your cancer risk?
Limiting carcinogenic pesticides is an obvious one, but isn’t the only method of reducing future cancers and is often not in individual peoples’ control, especially if they can’t afford to purchase only organic produce and foods. The study made it clear that universal implementation of these recommendations in the U.S. is a work in progress, given income inequality, lack of health insurance access, and food deserts that make healthy lifestyle habits a challenge.
The American Cancer Society points out that public policies improving healthcare and food access need to be strengthened at the state level most importantly, but there are some small steps you can take as an individual to reduce your cancer risk. Some of these include quitting or not initiating smoking, first, incorporating as much movement into your day as possible, and eating as balanced of a diet as you can, says Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, Senior Vice President, Surveillance & Health Equity Science at the American Cancer Society. Spreading awareness about cancer risk and encouraging preventative screening to your peers is a start, too. Gen X deserves to be known as much more than the “cancer generation.”