The Brian Lehrer Show Why More Young People are Getting Early-Onset Cancers
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Oct 2, 2025 Nina Agrawal, a health reporter for The New York Times, dives into the concerning rise of early-onset cancers among those under 50. She discusses societal lifestyle changes like obesity and processed foods that could be driving this trend. Nina also highlights the potential links between alcohol consumption and cancer risk, as well as the challenges of diagnosing young patients. Additionally, she touches on the impact of early-life exposures on health outcomes and the importance of advocating for routine screenings. Insightful and eye-opening!
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Postwar Birth Cohort Effect
- People born around the 1950s show an inflection in early-onset cancer starting in the 1990s.
- Societal environmental changes post-war track with rising cancer rates across successive generations.
Societal Lifestyle Shifts
- Population-level lifestyle shifts include more plastics, PFAS, sedentary behavior, ultra-processed foods, and higher obesity.
- These widespread changes likely contribute to higher early-onset cancer incidence.
Obesity's Role In Early-Onset Cancer
- Obesity shows the strongest data link to early-onset colorectal cancer among lifestyle factors.
- Proposed mechanisms include metabolic disruption, inflammation, and gut microbiome changes.