The incidence of cancer in young women is increasing, with women under the age of 50 now 82% more likely to develop cancer than their male counterparts. According to the American Cancer Society report, this increase has increased from 51% more in men in 2002 to 82% more in 2021.
Behind these worrying statistics is an increase in invasive breast cancer, which has increased by 1% annually from 2012 to 2021, with a 1.4% annual increase seen in women under 50. The study points to several risk factors as possible contributors to this increasing trend, including overweight body weight, delayed childbearing, and having fewer children. (Also read: What women should know about cervical cancer: Multiple sexual partners, alcohol, lifestyle symptoms that can cause it ,
Cancer rates are increasing in women
Deaths from uterine cancer are also increasing, with the study highlighting it as “one of the few cancers with an increasing mortality rate”. The death rate increased by 1.5% annually from 2013 to 2022. Similarly, the rate of colorectal cancer among persons under 50 has increased by 2.4% per year, while the death rate has been increasing by 1% annually. Diagnoses of pancreatic cancer have increased steadily by 1% each year since the mid-1990s, with mortality rates also increasing, although at a slower rate.
Rebecca L., an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report. “These troubling trends are more pronounced in women,” Siegel said in an interview with The New York Times.
Factors that increase the risk of cancer
“Although some cancers are also increasing in men, the trend is disproportionate, with the increase being more significant in women,” said Neil Iyengar, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He further said that the increase in various cancers, especially in young women, suggests that broader factors beyond individual or population genetics may be involved.
Lifestyle habits such as unhealthy eating habits, lack of sleep, smoking or vaping, and alcohol consumption, as well as environmental factors, can lead to an increase in cancer cases. Rebecca stressed, “Many people don’t realize how much of an impact they have on cancer risk. We have the power to make a change. The most important step is not to smoke.”
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have about a medical condition.
