A new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) has found that women between the ages of 50 and 64 now have more cancer cases than men in the US. This is the first time this has happened since the early 1900s. Even though fewer people are dying from cancer now, this change shows that the problem of cancer is getting worse, especially for women.

Increasing cancer cases in women

The study, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, shows that cancer rates in women under 50 are now 82% higher than in men. This is a big increase from 51% in 2002, according to CBS News. The most noticeable rise is in breast cancer, especially among women under 50. Since the mid-2000s, breast cancer in this age group has been increasing by 1.4% each year, which is much faster than the 0.7% increase seen in older women.

Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer at the ACS, spoke about this worrying trend, saying, “Here’s the bottom line: We’ve got more cancers overall, particularly those in younger people, and particularly those in women.”

Why are more women getting cancer?

While the exact reason for this rise in cancer rates among women is not clear, several factors could be contributing. The increase in obesity rates is a key factor, as obesity is linked to 13 different types of cancer. Drinking alcohol is another factor that could be raising cancer rates, with seven different cancers connected to alcohol intake.

Dr. Kamal explained, “There are 13 different cancers associated with being overweight. There are seven different cancers associated with alcohol intake."

The study also shows mixed results for men. While lung cancer rates have dropped dramatically for men since 1975, the rates of prostate cancer have gone up. This shift indicates that while some cancer types are decreasing, others are rising for men as well.

Smoking and its impact on life expectancy

A separate study has also shown that smoking affects men and women differently. According to researchers from University College London (UCL), every cigarette smoked shortens a person’s life by 20 minutes. However, for women, smoking each cigarette takes 22 minutes off their life, while for men, it shortens their life by 17 minutes. This shows that women may face more serious consequences from smoking than men.

The rise in cancer rates, especially among younger women, is worrying. Lifestyle choices, such as being overweight and drinking alcohol, are making the situation worse. It's clear that we need to take better action to improve health and stop cancer from happening.