Summarised by Centrist
Due to the vagaries of interpreting data, Dr F Perry Wilson of the Yale School of Medicine says when it comes to cancer, the question is “What is the question?”
He says:
“In fact, it may be reasonable to think of cancer incidence not in terms of the calendar year but in terms of the risk by social generation. And if you do that analysis, you’ll find something quite interesting. With each successive generation since the baby boomers, cancer incidence has decreased, with one exception: Gen X.”
The findings of a new study, published in JAMA Network Open, uses data from the SEER cancer database. Researchers analysed cancer incidence among nearly 4 million Americans born between 1908 and 1983.
This rise in cancer rates (notably kidney and thyroid cancers) among Gen Xers contrasts with the decline in cancer rates observed in the Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers.
The study attributes this trend to various factors, including increased detection due to advancements in medical technology and changing environmental exposures.
