By Sean Zucker –
It may be hard to believe but many members of Generation X will soon be entering their 60’s. As they do, the MTV Generation is set to buck one longstanding trend for the worst. They are on pace to become the first generation to be diagnosed with cancer at a higher rate than the generation that preceded them.
Just why this dangerous increase is happening is unclear, however.
Researchers with the National Cancer Institute discovered this unfortunate development while examining Gen X cancer rates compared to Baby Boomers. The cohort study used data from nearly four million patients with cancer through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. Gen Xers were defined as anyone born between 1965 and 1980 while Baby Boomers included people born between 1946 and 1964.
The demographics of those involved were also fairly extensive with 51 percent being men and 49 percent being female. Additionally, 71.5 percent were Caucasian, 8.6 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 9.5 percent Hispanic and 10.4 percent were Black. By examining current cancer rates, the research team was able to project forward and warn of Gen X’s increased probability of a cancer diagnosis by age 60.
Hispanic women saw one of the most startling increases in cancer diagnoses, with rates soaring by 35 percent. In terms of Baby Boomers, there were 598 cases of cancer per 100,000 person-years, which effectively represents how often someone would expect to see a cancer diagnosis if they followed 100,000 people for a year. This rate jumped to 806 cases per 100,000 person-years for Generation X.
Black men in Generation X had the highest cancer rate overall, with 1,561 cases per 100,000 person-years. This reflected an increase of about 12 percent from the 1,399 cases per 100,000 person-years observed in the Boomer generation.
“Our study can’t speak to any particular cause,” the study’s lead author Philip S. Rosenberg told NPR. “It gives you boots-on-the-ground intelligence about what is happening. That’s where you go and look for clues about causes.”
The research found that Gen X women are specifically expected to experience a significant rise in thyroid, kidney, rectal, corpus uterine, colon and pancreatic cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia, when compared to Baby Boomer women. Gen X men, on the other hand, can anticipate increases in thyroid, kidney, rectal, colon and prostate cancers, as well as leukemia.
All the news wasn’t bad, however. Gen X women should see a decline in lung and cervical cancer incidences according to the results. Gen X men, in turn, will see decreases in lung, liver and gallbladder cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Breast cancer rates across all demographics are also expected to remain stable, although the authors state further study is still needed there.
Asian and Pacific Islander men in particular enjoyed a dip in cancer risk. Their rates of diagnosis decreased from 562 cases per 100,000 person-years in the Boomer generation to 519 cases per 100,000 person-years in Generation X, a drop of 7.7 percent.
“We’re in a situation where America’s made great progress but there’s also great challenges in terms of preventing cancer,” Rosenberg added.
As for what this eventually means for the generation next in line, Millennials, Rosenberg is not optimistic. “Is there anything that gives us hope that things are going to turn a corner for the Millennials?” Rosenberg wondered. “What we found is, no.”
