A new study published in the medical journal, JAMA Network, has found that Generation X may have higher cancer incidence rates than older generations.
Now that Generation X is reaching the age where cancers are likely to emerge, statistics and projections can tell us whether cancer rates in this middle-aged generation are increasing or decreasing relative to the Baby Boomer generation.
It turns out….the news is not good.
Here, find a link to the published study, as well as an easier-to-digest article in ScienceNews that discusses the findings.
Cancer Incidence Trends in Successive Social Generations in the US – JAMA Network
Gen X Has Higher Cancer Rates Than Their Baby Boomer Parents – ScienceNews
The authors of the study and the ScienceNews article express concern that cancer rates will continue to rise and remain high for Millennials, Gen Z, and younger generations.
While I agree this is a valid concern, I will make the argument that high cancer rates were inevitable with Generation X and will peak with us.
Brief Summary of Study Findings
The study found that Generation X had, overall, more incidence of cancer than Baby Boomers in the United States.
Gen X women had decreased rates of lung and cervical cancers, but increased rates of thyroid, kidney, rectal, uterine, colon, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. They also had an increased incidence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.
Generation X men were found to have decreased rates of lung, liver, and gallbladder cancer, and decreased rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, they had increased rates of thyroid, kidney, rectal, colon, and prostate cancers.
It should be noted that the study looked at cancer diagnoses, not outcomes. Treatment effectiveness and survival rates were not part of the study.
While the rates of some cancer types declined for Gen X, when considering all cancer types, there was overall more cancer detected and projected. The trends predict more on the horizon.
The increase in cancer rates for Generation X applies to all genders and ethnicities in the U.S.
Why Cancer Rates May Be Increasing
Some of the reasons that incident rates of cancer are increasing are actually positive things. For example, access to healthcare and improved detection methods, especially early detection methods, have increased diagnoses.
Early detection and improved treatments mean improved survival rates. Improved survival rates mean increased opportunity to pass on genetic risk factors to more offspring. Also, ironically, cancer treatments, often radiation treatments, increase the risk of other potential cancers. Because survival rates from cancer treatment have increased, the rates of second cancers have massively increased.
Of course, there are a lot of negative reasons cancer has increased in the population as well, and they are mostly lifestyle-related.
We have become more obese and less active. We harbor a lot of stress and we eat a lot of processed foods. Our diets contain increased amounts of fat, red meat, and dairy. And our environment is filled with chemicals, plastics, and other contaminants.
As your classic not-a-doctor, I want to stress that I don’t know what elements of our lifestyles, diets, and environments are cancer-causing. It seems published studies and medical opinions are also sometimes mixed or inconclusive. But I think it’s safe to say all these elements are negative contributors to overall health, regardless.
There are a couple of other notable potential factors that I’d like to mention. First, some cancers are caused by occupational hazards and exposure. Since women have become more participatory in the workforce, this could logically lead to an increased risk in women than for older generations.
Additionally, studies show that women are beginning menstruation earlier and reaching menopause later. This increased number of years of exposure to estrogen can also be a cancer risk factor.
Also, – and this blew me away – did you know that height can be a cancer risk factor? It’s true. The reason is not definitive, but some believe taller people simply have more cells, and therefore the risk of a cell mutation is increased. Some statistics suggest that we are approximately 5% taller, on average, than we were 100 years ago.
Why Gen X Will Bear The Worst Of It
The above-mentioned unhealthy lifestyle factors really took off in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. We were latchkey kids, left home alone while both parents were working. The food industry responded with packaged processed foods we could make ourselves in the microwave or eat straight from the package. We had chips and Hot Pockets and Lunchables.
I used to make a box of macaroni and cheese or Rice-a-Roni and that was lunch in the summertime. Breakfast was a giant bowl of Cap-n Crunch. And dinner was whatever fast food my exhausted mother brought home.
And to drink? Kool-Aid and oh, so much soda. Do you remember the Big Gulp? It started at a whopping 32 ounces and kept getting bigger until the 128-ouncer was so appalling that the government threatened to get involved and the Big Gulp was phased out.
Not only were we eating like this, but this was before childcare options and after-school programs were widely available. So in many cases, we were home alone all the time and forced to stay inside (for safety reasons, I guess). So our activity levels were also going way down.
Meanwhile, the low-fat craze hit the scene in the 80s. We thought it was a health improvement, but we ended up introducing high-calorie snacks, high-fructose corn syrup, and trans fats. I specifically remember thinking I could eat as many Snackwell’s cookies as I wanted because they were fat-free!
Two working parents meant two family cars. Air pollution and carbon monoxide emissions went way up. Yellow-gray smog clouds were hovering over big cities. We were using pesticides and PFAS and plastics and no one was concerned. Our paint had lead, our walls had asbestos, and our cheese was in a spray can. How did we even survive this long?!
My point is, this era of life was a turning point in the U.S. and our health has suffered, demonstrated mostly by the massive rise in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stress, and apparently, some cancers.
But I Think We Are Improving
We are still too fat and sedentary, and our diets aren’t great. But there is a ton more awareness. We might only get 6000 steps a day, but at least we are tracking it. We might still eat too much sugar, but statistics are showing decreases. Trans fats are phasing out and no one cares if something is fat-free anymore.
Today’s youth would rather have avocado toast than Cap’n Crunch, and that’s a good thing.
People have become more conscious of environmental pollutants, pesticides, food additives, and carbon emissions. Organic foods have become much more popular since the 90s.
The government has stepped in to reduce emissions and regulate industry. The Clean Air Act has led to huge decreases in air pollution. The EPA banned lead in gasoline in the 70s and lead-based paint was banned in 1978. BPAs were banned in baby products only, but awareness has led to a decline in products that contain them.
Meanwhile, our cancer treatments and detection methods continue to improve. HPV vaccination has had a huge impact on rates of cervical cancer. Lung cancer has decreased due to smoking risk awareness, breast cancer survivability is way up and colonoscopies are no big deal.
Cutting-edge treatments developed from nanotechnology, stem cell therapy, and CRISPR could have profound impacts on the cancer treatment front in the coming decades.
For all of these reasons, I think history will know Generation X as the generation of peak cancer. Once again, through little fault of our own, we just got the poopy end of the stick. But who knows? Maybe we will stick around long enough to benefit from the positive changes we are helping to usher in.
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If you like this post, you should try some of these others:
Why Is Generation X Called the Slacker Generation?
We Need a Generation X President But We Aren’t Going to Get One
Why Generation X Can Make Their Dreams Come True
Or just click over to the home page and explore. We are all about Generation X in Midlife.