Cancer cases rising for women and younger adults in US, report finds
Share:
Cancer mortality has decreased overall, while racial and gender disparities in cancer rates continue to persist. Certain types of cancer are on the rise among younger adults and women, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society finds. This marks the first time since the early 1900s that cancer has been higher among women than men.
The report, titled Cancer Statistics, provides insight on cancer rates in the US, analyzing data between 1991 and 2021, and offering context to both both positive and worrisome shifts in cancer rates. “Cancer is the number one leading cause of death for all folks under the age of 85,” William Dahut, chief scientific officer for ACS, said.
“This year, we anticipate that they’ll be over 2 million new cancer diagnoses and 618,000 cancer deaths. That would be the equivalent of losing two mid-sized cities in this country.”. The study notes that women under the age of 65 are now more likely to be diagnosed with a cancer than a man in that same age group; historically, men in that age group have had a greater cancer risk than women.
“What’s driving this increasing trend in women is breast cancer and thyroid cancer,” Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director at ACS, said in a press conference hosted by ACS ahead of the study’s release. “Even though thyroid cancer has stabilized in recent years, it was the fastest increasing cancer during the time period that we’re looking at.”.
There was also an overall shift in cancer rates within different age groups. Being over the age of 65 is still considered the greatest risk factor for cancer, but those younger than 65 are seeing a rise in incidences. There’s an increase for those between ages 50 and 64, as well as higher diagnoses rates for those under 50.
