This week’s graphic highlights data from a recent study published by The Lancet on cancer incidence trends in the United States between 2000 and 2019 among those born between 1920 and 1990. Of the 34 types of cancer studied, 17 were found to have an increased incidence among those from the Generation X and Millennial cohorts. Compared to individuals in the 1955 cohort, incidence of small intestinal, thyroid, kidney and renal pelvic, and pancreatic cancers among those in the 1990 cohort was about three times higher. The incidence of those in the Generation X cohorts was also higher among these four cancers compared to the 1955 cohort’s rate. More adults are also getting diagnosed with cancer at younger ages. There were particularly stark average annual increases of pancreatic cancer incidence among adults aged 25-49 between 2000 and 2019, with the average annual increase hitting 4.34% among adults aged 25-29. Most cancer patients are not in their 20s—the median age of a cancer diagnosis is still 67—but such a stark increase in incidence among younger adults is alarming and cause for further investigation. High consumption of ultra processed foods—a target of the “Make American Healthy Again” movement—has been linked to some cancers. However, disruption at research institutions that improve cancer treatment is costly to a cohort of cancer patients that is increasingly in the prime of their lives.
