Gen X and Millennials face cancer incidence rates 2 to 3 times higher than those born in 1955, according to a major study published in The Lancet in August 2024. Analyzing data from more than 23 million diagnosed patients across 34 cancer types, researchers found elevated risk for 17 of them in these two generations. The findings point to obesity, diet, environmental pollutants, and lifestyle changes as key contributing factors.
In brief
- —Incidence rates 2–3x higher than the 1955 birth cohort
- —17 of 34 cancers studied are on the rise in younger generations
- —Mortality increased for 5 cancer types including colorectal and liver
A Lancet study covering 23 million patients and 34 cancer types
The study, led by Hyuna Sung, PhD and colleagues and published in The Lancet in August 2024, is the first to examine both cancer incidence and mortality simultaneously by birth year in the United States. It drew on data from 23,654,000 individuals diagnosed with 34 different cancer types, as well as 7,348,137 deaths from 25 cancers — all recorded between 2000 and 2019.
