Some Cancers Are Rising in Millennials. Obesity Might Be the Reason Why

The rates of new cancer cases and cancer deaths have fallen in the U.S. over the past few decades. But certain cancers are becoming more common among younger Americans, and researchers think obesity may be to blame, finds a new report from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. Obesity rates have been rising across age groups for years. According to the latest federal numbers, almost 36% of American adults ages 20-39 are obese, and that number may soon be even higher. Recent research suggests that if obesity trends continue, 57% of children in the U.S. will be obese by the time they turn 35. Rates of six different cancers that are associated with obesity increased among adults ages 25-49 between 1995 and 2014, according to the research, which was published in the journal Lancet Public Health and based on information in the Cancer in North America database. These cancers include multiple myeloma, colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney and pancreatic. Even though cancer most often strikes older adults, the sharpest increases were found in younger age groups. Pancreatic cancer exemplifies the pattern: Between 1995 and 2014, incidence of the disease rose by 0.77% annually among adults ages 45-49; by 2.47% among those ages 30-34; and by 4.34% among those ages 25-29. Kidney cancer had the sharpest annual increase for young Americans: 6.23% between 1995 and 2014. While some cancers have a fairly clear cause — like smoking for lung cancer, or HPV ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Cancer healthytime Source Type: news