Lead author calls research results 'shocking'

New study says risk of Gen Xers and millennials getting colon and rectal cancer is rising

Americans under 55 — those known as Gen Xers and millennials — are at a greater risk today of colon and rectal cancer than any generation before.

According to American Cancer Society (ACS) and National Cancer Institute (NSI) researchers, those born in 1990 have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer than those born in 1950 had at the same age.

And most of those cancers would be in more advanced stages when discovered, a study published today in the Journal of the NSI indicates — probably because routine screening normally isn't recommended for those under 50.

Rebecca Siegel

The lead author of the study, Rebecca Siegel, an ACS epidemiologist, called the size of the increase "very shocking,'" most likely because the surge of younger diagnoses contrasts with the decades-long descent of colorectal cancer cases.

According to a Washington Post story by Laurie McKinley reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle last week, Siegel noted that the drop has been driven by older adults who've gotten regular screenings, including colonoscopies, that detect growths before they become cancerous.

She also suggested that younger people are more apt to be uninsured, which might keep them from seeing a doctor until they can no longer ignore their symptoms.

"We had such great strides just in the past years in insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act," she said — hinting that the situation might change for the worse under the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans' desire to "repeal and replace" Obamacare.

The study looked at nearly half a million cases of colorectal cancer from 1974 to 2013. 

It found that colon cancer rates increased about 1 to 2 percent per year for people in their 20s and 30s, and that rates for middle-aged adults also rose, albeit at a slower pace.

"Rectal rates climbed even faster in recent decades," the story added, "at about 3 percent per year for people in their 20s and 30s and 2 percent annually for those 40 to 54."

Specific reasons for the increases, not incidentally, remain unclear.

The ACS, which predicts more than 95,000 new cases of colon cancer and almost 40,000 of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, is reviewing colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

Research into the risks of diseases is an integral part of "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at male caregivers.

Similar to females in poor developing nations

Racial gap widening in cervical cancer deaths — to the detriment of black women

A widening racial gap has been found in regard to cervical cancer deaths.

With black women being on the short end of the stick.

Over all, according to an article in The New York Times by Jan Hoffman late last month, a study published in the journal Cancer has determined that "the death rate…is considerably higher than previously estimated."

Hoffman's story says researchers have reported that "the rate which black American women are dying from the disease is comparable to that of women in many poor developing nations" in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The article notes that "what makes the findings especially disturbing…is that when screening guidelines and follow-up monitoring are pursued, cervical cancer is largely preventable."

Some experts say the expected repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which covers screening, is likely to make matters worse.

The new study, which looked at data from 2000 to 2012, showed the mortality rate for blacks was 10.1 per 100,000, compared to 4.7 for white women.

Anne F. Rositch, Ph.D.

Anne F. Rositch, Ph.D., lead author and an assistant epidemiology prof at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explained that women who'd had hysterectomies — which almost always remove cervixes — were excluded from the study.

The racial disparity, it was speculated, reflected "unequal access to screening, ability to pursue early-warning test results, and insurance coverage."

"Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at caregivers touches on studies that show other racial disparities.