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Cancer Incidence in Younger Women Increases Rapidly

Women younger than 50 in the U.S. are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer as men in the same age group, according to a report released Jan. 16 by the American Cancer Society (ACS). “Breast and thyroid cancer account for almost half of all cancer diagnoses in women younger than 50,” cancer epidemiologist Rebecca Siegel, lead author of the report and senior scientific director of surveillance research at ACS, said in a CNN story. Additionally, women 50 to 64 have a slightly higher cancer risk than men in the same age group, according to the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Researchers and clinicians say a variety of factors could be behind the increase in younger women. “We cannot point at one specific factor, but it’s possible that changes in fertility patterns play a role,” said medical oncologist Mariana Chavez-MacGregor of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in reference to research that links pregnancy and breastfeeding to reduced breast cancer risk. “Obesity and alcohol consumption are likely contributing factors, as is a potential lack of physical activity,” she said. The report covered a wide range of cancer trends, including persistent disparities in cancer incidence and mortality based on race, ethnicity and geographic area of residence. But there was also good news: Overall cancer mortality dropped 34% from 1991 to 2022. “Year after year, we observe a continued decline in cancer-related mortality, and that is very important,” said Chavez-MacGregor.

Another Report Released on Alcohol and Health

A new government report concludes that even moderate drinking—within the current U.S. nutritional guidelines of one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men—could carry health risks, including increased cancer risk. The report from the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) confirmed a link between alcohol use and increased mortality in seven cancer types: colorectal, female breast, liver, oral cavity, pharyngeal, laryngeal and esophageal. These risks are higher with any amount of alcohol intake and increase with higher amounts of drinking, STAT reported, and women experience a greater cancer risk attributable to alcohol. Another report released in December 2024 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine linked moderate drinking to lower all-cause mortality, although it found breast cancer risk increased with drinking. Both reports, with sometimes contradictory conclusions, will be used to determine the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, to be released by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. A public comment period on the two reports began Jan. 15 and ends Feb. 14. According to the ICCPUD report, risks are not spread evenly across the population but are greater for certain individuals. “Alcohol would have a greater impact on the health of people who smoke, have poor diets, engage in low physical activity, are obese, have hepatitis infection, or have a family history of specific diseases than it would other individuals,” the report said.

White House Expected to Propose Reducing Nicotine in Cigarettes

The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration, in its waning days, is expected to propose a plan to drastically lower the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. Nicotine is widely viewed as the cause of addiction for cigarette smokers. The fate of the plan hinges on how the incoming Trump administration views the measure. A similar plan was proposed during Trump’s first term in office but not implemented. Dennis Henigan, vice president for legal and regulatory affairs for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in the Washington Post that cutting nicotine levels “would be the death knell of smoking in America.” The tobacco industry criticized the plan. “Smoking rates are at historic lows, and reducing nicotine content in cigarettes will not make these products less risky or improve public health,” Luis Pinto, vice president of corporate communications at Reynolds American, a maker of several cigarette brands, said. Cigarettes typically contain 10 to 12 milligrams of nicotine, which many smokers say makes them more alert, reduces stress and helps manage their mood. Earlier efforts to market low-nicotine cigarettes alongside cigarettes with higher nicotine levels failed, and only one cigarette maker, 22nd Century, has Food and Drug Administration approval to make low-nicotine cigarettes, sold under the brand name VLN.