Cancer cases among women and young people are on the rise. How to reduce risk

• Cancer cases among women and young adults are on the rise in the United States, according to a new report.
• According to the report, cancer incidence among women aged 50 to 64 has exceeded that of men for the first time.
• The reason for these changes is not clear, but doctors point to a lack of physical activity, high alcohol intake, and a diet rich in ultra-processed foods as possible contributing factors.

According to one study, cancer death rates decreased by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States. report Announced on January 16th by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

of Cancer statistics, 2025 According to the report, this was mainly due to declines in the four most common types of cancer: lung cancer; colorectalbreast and prostate.

However, during this period, the rate of new cancers (known as incidence) increased for many types of cancer, including among women and young adults.

For example, the report found that cancer rates among women aged 50 to 64 exceeded those of men for the first time. Women under 50 are now 82% more likely to have cancer than men, up from 51% in 2002.

Additionally, for people under 65, lung cancer The incidence is higher in women than in men. The report points out that this is due to differences between women who start smoking and women who quit.

The report also highlighted the incidence and mortality due to infectious diseases. pancreatic cancer The trend continues to increase for both men and women. The five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic tumors is only 8%. This type accounts for 9 out of 10 cases of pancreatic cancer.

“It is difficult to diagnose pancreatic cancer early.There is no screening test like that for pancreatic cancer. colon cancer,” said Dr. Naresh Voraa hematologist and medical oncologist, is also the medical director of MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California. Vora was not involved in the report.

“Treatments for pancreatic cancer do not reflect the treatment advances seen in other cancers, such as lung cancer. melanoma And colon cancer,” Vora told Healthline.

Overall, the report estimates that 2,041,910 people will be newly diagnosed with cancer and 618,120 people will die from cancer in the United States in 2025.

Despite the large number of new cancer cases expected this year, cancer death rates decreased by 34% between 1991 and 2022. This reduction resulted in around 4.5 million cancer cases averted, the report found.

“The mortality rate for people diagnosed with cancer continues to decline, and it has declined quite significantly.” Kathleen K. Harnden, MD, MBAmedical director of breast oncology at Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, Virginia. Harnden was not involved in the new report.

“Men and women facing really difficult times and diagnoses. [should know] She told Healthline that the future is bright and that with continued treatment, it is increasingly likely that she will be cured and cancer-free.

“Our [cancer] Cancer detection rates are increasing because treatment plans and diagnostic techniques are all improving,” Vora said. “But people are living much longer than they were 30 years ago, so mortality rates are also falling. This means there are more people living with cancer than ever before. ” he added.

Harden said the availability of advanced multidisciplinary care, where patients receive coordinated care between surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, is also contributing to improved cancer survival rates in the United States. he pointed out.

“This allows someone’s care to move more quickly,” she said. “All the doctors talk to each other and consider the same information to come up with a multifaceted approach to someone’s cancer treatment.”

It's not clear why cancer rates have increased in women and young people in recent years, but experts have identified several possible causes.

“We've been talking a lot about physical inactivity and increased physical activity. obesity. We talked a lot about dietary changes,” Vora said. “I don’t think there are any final conclusions that we can draw, but I think they need to be considered.”

Mr. Harden pointed out: sedentary — Sitting at a desk, becoming screen-oriented, and not walking from office to office increases your risk of cancer. ”

“There is also emerging evidence about the role of dietary changes,” she says. “By consuming more, ultra-processed foods May increase cancer risk. Reducing your vegetable intake may also increase your risk of cancer. ”

“We're particularly concerned about rising obesity rates among women,” Harnden said. “As obesity increases, [women’s] For every 5 pounds you gain, your risk of breast cancer increases in tandem. ”

higher alcohol intake It also increases the risk of some cancers. oral cancer, breast cancer, etc. liver cancer — All of these incidences are increasing in the report — linked For alcohol consumption.

The report also highlighted alarming inequalities in cancer mortality rates. Native Americans are two to three times more likely to develop kidney, liver, stomach, and cervical cancer than whites.

Additionally, black people are twice as likely as white people to die from prostate, stomach, and endometrial cancer. Black people are also 50% more likely to die from cervical cancer, which is preventable with the HPV vaccine.

“Disparities in cancer care are always very humbling,” Harnden said. “We must continue to strive to improve cancer screening, ensuring that people of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds have access to the excellent screening tools we have. ”

“And when those patients do need cancer treatment, we need to make sure everyone has access to it,” she said.

Vora echoed her concerns. “Many underserved patient groups have not benefited from the same advances,” he said. “And that's probably because we haven't yet reached out to those groups to get them tested and educate them about cancer treatment and prevention.”

Harnden said there are several things people can do to reduce their risk of cancer.

“Whatever your starting point, first and foremost reduce your alcohol intake,” she said.

“We also have very good data on the importance of: exercise. But besides exercise, it's important to be more active overall, such as by going for walks or having meetings during the day. walkOr you can incorporate more activity into your daily life,” she continued.

Harnden added that people are eating less ultra-processed foods and switching to more plant-based diets.

“For some people, it's difficult to subtract things from their diet,” she says. “Try adding vegetables instead, especially.” cruciferous vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower Incorporate these things into your diet. ”

“For those who are still struggling with obesity, I encourage you to speak with a weight loss expert about considering some new tools in obesity management and weight loss. GLP-1” she suggested.

American Cancer Society Cancer statistics, 2025 The report shows that cancer death rates in the United States decreased by 34% from 1991 to 2022 due to declines in the four most common cancer types: lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. I did.

However, the incidence of new cancer among women aged 50 to 64 has exceeded that of men for the first time. Additionally, cancer incidence in women under 50 is now 82% higher than in men, up from 51% in 2002.

Doctors are unsure of the exact cause of this trend, but cite alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and consumption of ultra-processed foods as possible contributing factors.