Yahoo News - Cancer diagnoses rising faster in women, especially those under 50: Report

MIRANDA GUERRIERO, DO
Thu, January 16, 2025 at 8:11 AM EST

Women are now being diagnosed with cancer more often than men in certain age groups, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.

Among adults aged 50-64, cancer rates are slightly higher in women, and women under 50 are almost twice as likely as men in the same age group to receive a cancer diagnosis.

The report, released Thursday, found that while deaths continue to decrease, troubling racial disparities persist, with white Americans more likely to survive cancer than other groups.

Meanwhile, the report echoed data from recent years suggesting a worrying increase in cancer diagnosis among younger Americans, with colon cancer rates increasing among adults 65 and younger.

Broadly, the report suggested doctors are getting better at saving lives thanks to better treatments but reinforced worrying trends around rising diagnoses of some cancers, particularly among women. Changes in screening practices, lifestyle factors, obesity, environmental hazards and lower rates of smoking in men may be contributing to the trend, the report said.

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