The 3 Primary Reasons Younger People Are Getting Cancer

Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer

Did you know that cancer rates in people under 50 have increased nearly 80% over the last 3 decades?! This is according to several recent studies. (1, 2, 3) Personally I’ve seen this in my own practice, where over half of my current clients and the members of our group coaching program are under 50 and about a third were under 40 when they first reached out to me. My youngest client this year diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer was 28 years old! 

Although breast cancer had the highest number of incident cases in this “early-onset” group, gastrointestinal cancers (colon, rectal, stomach, esophageal, appendix, & bile duct) had the fastest-growing incidence rates. One in five new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States occur in people younger than 55 — a rate that has almost doubled over the past three decades, according to the American Cancer Society.

Traditionally cancer has been a secondary disease of aging, with the average age of diagnosis being 68 years old. The rate of getting cancer triples over the age of 60. And although overall this is still true, research is showing that since the 90’s, cancer among older adults is declining, while cancers among people under 50 is rising. 

Cancer is still the 2nd leading cause of death both in the United States & globally (right behind heart disease). An estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. And in 2020 about 10 million people died of cancer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

So the most important question then is WHY are cancer rates climbing in younger people?? This has definitely been on my mind and should probably be on yours as well. Increased screening may partially explain the rise but to fully understand this phenomenon we need to first understand the real causes of cancer.

Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell proliferation, with cells growing and spreading to other parts of the body. It happens when the genetic information in our cells responsible for keeping cell growth in check is damaged, which explains why it has historically been more common in older people who have had more time to acquire these mutations. The concerning aspect now is that people’s cells and bodies are aging quicker, as Dr. Mark Hyman explains in great detail in his book “Young Forever”. 

So maybe the more accurate question then is WHY are people aging quicker & as a consequence making it easier for cancer to grow? Let’s dive into the 3 primary reasons I believe this is happening.

1. Toxic Burden

The first, and arguably most important, reason has to do with the sheer number of toxins we are exposed to now more than ever before in our history. 84,000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment since 1990 and fewer than 1% have actually been tested for safety! An alarming statistic in a study by the Environmental Working Group, in collaboration with Commonweal, is that the average newborn today has 287 known toxins in their umbilical cord blood before they even take their first breath. If a baby also happens to have suboptimal or poor genotypes in their detoxification pathways, they are going to have a challenging time clearing these chemicals. Suppose they were also born via cesarean section (worldwide, about 21% of babies are born via c-section) and then fed infant formula. In that case, these factors likely interfered with the development of their microbiome (the collection of all microbes that naturally live in our gut) and consequently weakened their immune system. And then when that child starts to eat solid foods, she consumes the ultra-processed baby, toddler, & kid-friendly foods that are widely available now…you can see how this sets the stage for disease and early aging.

Let’s dive deeper into the wide variety of toxins burdening our systems…starting with ultra-processed foods (UPFs). 

Ultra-Processed Foods

Processed food is literally everywhere, even foods marketed as “healthy” are highly processed food-like substances as opposed to real, whole food. In addition to being devoid or having very minimal amounts of real nutrients, they are also often full of sugar, refined flours, inflammatory fats, stabilizers, thickeners, colors, flavors, and more. According to Dr. Hyman’s book again, we ingest on average 5 lbs of food additives every year. And according to a large-scale prospective analysis published in The Lancet from January 2023, higher UPF consumption may in fact be linked to an increased burden and mortality for overall cancers and certain site-specific cancers, especially ovarian & breast cancer.

Environmental Chemicals

Then there’s the wide variety of environmental chemicals we’re exposed to, as I mentioned above. These are coming from the pesticides or herbicides used to grow our food…especially glyphosate which has been shown to be likely carcinogenic (study). The chemicals found in our water and from air pollution. The chemicals in our cosmetics and body care products, laundry detergents, clothing, cleaning products, new home & car materials, scented products, plastic wrap and bottles…you get the idea, the list goes on and on! Many are carcinogenic and some have also been shown to disrupt our hormones.

Tobacco & Alcohol

And then what about the chemicals we choose to consume…like tobacco or alcohol. According to the World Health Organization, in 2020 almost ¼ (25%) of the world’s population used tobacco and even higher rates for alcohol. Alcohol consumption varies widely by country but in the United States, over ⅔ of people ages 18 and over reported drinking alcohol. Globally, on average, the amount comes to about six liters of pure ethanol per year per drinker, or about one wine bottle per week. In France, where I currently live, people consume about 12 liters per year or two wine bottles per week per drinker 😮 – that’s a lot of wine!

The link between tobacco and cancer has already been well established and we now know there is really no safe level of alcohol when it comes to cancer. According to IARC data, globally, alcohol intake accounted for about 4% of all cancers diagnosed in 2020. There is the most prominent link between alcohol and breast cancer risk, but this most recent data also shows six other cancer types — oral cavity, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, colorectal, and liver cancer — being attributed to alcohol consumption, and emerging evidence suggests stomach and pancreatic cancer may be as well.

Medications & Genetic Risk

Plus the sheer volume of medications we take over the course of our lifetime, often starting very young with antibiotics, acetaminophen, antacids, or antidepressants. All of these drugs disrupt the microbiome, which influences our immune system, and some have also been shown to deplete glutathione, our body’s main detoxifying compound. 

And as I mentioned above with the poor baby born today, what if your genetics have not set you up to handle this level of toxic exposure? What if you have suboptimal or poor genotypes that make it harder for you to clear these toxins? Which means more inflammation, more oxidation, and more risk for DNA mutation. And what if genetically you also have a harder time clearing your hormones or are more at risk for estrogen toxicity, as I see in many of my breast cancer clients? All of this unfortunately sets the stage for cancer to develop and grow at earlier ages.

2. Modern Lifestyle & Culture

The next reason I believe for the rise in early-onset cancer is the consequence of our modern lifestyle and culture. In addition to being exposed to high levels of external toxins we are also exposed to high levels of internal toxins from chronic stress, emotional trauma, and increasing isolation and loneliness. Stress alone can disrupt our immune system, increase inflammation, and increase the risk for cancer. It can even influence genetic expression. When we add on the burden of emotional wounds and lack of community or support, we create an environment (terrain) in our body that makes it easier for cancer to grow.

The work environment for many people under 50 today involves long hours indoors, usually in front of a computer screen, sometimes with a long commute in traffic as well. We’re spending more time under artificial lighting, disconnected from nature and the sun, and with chronic EMF exposure from the electronics & wifi all around us. We also spend most of the day sitting to the point that sitting has now become the new smoking in terms of risk for disease. In addition to being more sedentary, sitting for long periods of time also increases the risk for obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and metabolic dysfunction…which can increase risk for cancer.

Then once we leave work, we often come home to sit some more, in front of the TV, our phones, computers, or gaming equipment. We may or may not eat a home-cooked meal. Depending on what time we get home we may more often resort to take-out or something processed and easy to heat up. We may stay up late in front of our blue screens; which then disrupts our circadian rhythms causing poor sleep and then we wake up early in order to get back to work. There is a lot of healing & repair that happens when we sleep, like detoxification, autophagy, and immune regeneration. When we miss out on this important window of time, over and over again, the body begins to degrade and again we set the stage for cancer to grow.

I say “we ” in this section because this is the reality for most of my generation and younger. I too was part of this reality before my family and I made a bold decision to move to France and change our way of life. Although just one of the above may not be enough to cause increased rates of cancer for a whole generation of people, the combination certainly is.

3. Immune Dysfunction

The final reason for the rise in premature aging and increased rates of early-onset cancer has to do with our immune system. Although there are many physiological systems involved in cancer prevention, the immune system is our primary defense. The immune system will recognize, manage, and disable cancer cells before they progress. However, when the immune system is impaired, cancer cells multiply unchecked to the point where the immune system is no longer able to cope.

What impairs the immune system? ALL of the above (toxins, stress, poor sleep, poor diet, lack of exercise & time outside) plus microbiome imbalance, leaky gut, and chronic infections (like parasites, Epstein Barr, lyme, herpes, H. pylori, HPV, etc).  One hallmark sign of a disrupted immune system is autoimmunity. I do not think it’s a coincidence that autoimmune diseases are also on the rise. (study)  They have many causes in common with cancer and premature aging and some believe they are actually just two sides of the same coin. (study)

Let’s Change This Rising Tide

I 100% believe that we can turn the tides on cancer and begin to lower these statistics. But in order to do that we need to first share the message (far & wide) of WHY cancer grows & HOW you can stay cancer free.

In an extensive review in Nature on early-onset cancers, the researchers found that the early life “exposome,” which encompasses an individual’s diet, lifestyle, weight, environmental exposures, and microbiome, has changed substantially in the last several decades. Because of this the data now shows that the risk for early-onset cancer increases with each generation, something known as the “birth cohort effect”. This essentially means that every new generation has an increased risk for cancer compared to the generation before them.

The good news → we can shift our exposome (our diet, lifestyle, & exposures) to decrease these risks going forward. Ultimately there is A LOT we can do to stay healthy & cancer-free AND to help our kids stay cancer-free. Here’s a summary of where you can start:

1. Take an honest inventory of all of your toxic exposures. Remove the ones you can and minimize your exposure to the rest. Here’s a list to help you get started.
2. Remove ultra-processed food from your diet and replace it with a nutrient-dense, whole food, plant heavy diet instead. Start with real food here.
3. Optimize your detoxification pathways with a plant focused diet, optimal hydration, moving your body, sweating, fasting, and more. Get more ideas here.
4. Get outside every day, ideally first thing in the morning with sun in your eyes to support better circadian rhythms. Also, limit your exposure to light and electronics in the evening ideally with no electronics 1 hour before bed in order to support deep & restorative sleep.
5. Go to bed earlier and make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Here are some ideas if you’re currently struggling with sleep.
6. Take walking, standing, and stretching breaks during your work-day and if possible get a standing desk so you’re not sitting as long. Schedule in times during your day to move your body…bonus points if it’s outside!
7. Add in support strategies to your day to both minimize your stressors while helping you release tension & stress, like with exercise and meditation. Reach out to friends and family members and build a strong support network.

Another important factor is to raise awareness around your unique risk factors for cancer. Here are 3 ways you can do this:

• • Take our Cancer Risk Questionnaire on the 7 systems of cancer prevention & watch our Free Masterclass if you haven’t already– You can do both here. Get to the root causes of cancer while taking steps to optimize your systems of cancer prevention.

 

• Get an annual physical– including some blood markers that help us assess the “terrain” in which cancer can grow…blood sugar, insulin, inflammation, etc. Here are a list of labs I encourage my clients to have checked annually:
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Homocysteine
  • Ferritin, Serum
  • GGT
  • Hemoglobin A1c
  • Insulin, Fasting
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1)
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamin B12 and Folate
  • Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy
  • {plus} standard CBC, Metabolic, Lipid, & Thyroid panels
•  Pay attention to changes in your body– constant fatigue, blood in your stool, a lump that doesn’t go away (in your breast or somewhere else), or honestly any other change in your system that intuitively doesn’t feel right to you…the most important thing you can do is know your body & trust your intuition!

There are many free resources available here on my website to help you take action. Start with the Free Masterclass & Cancer Risk Questionnaire to determine your high risk areas and feel free to reach out for a Free Strategy Session if you’d like to chat more about diving deeper into your unique cancer risks and designing a personalized plan to help you stay cancer free.