Cancer rates are on the rise for Gen Xers and millennials. Researchers found significant increases in 17 of the 34 most common cancers among younger generations. Though there is no clear explanation, research suggests that changes in lifestyle and diet, as well as environmental changes are driving the higher risks across generations. This includes red meat and processed food consumption, rising obesity rates, diets high in saturated fats, poor sleep habits, sedentary lifestyles and exposure to pollutants and carcinogenic chemicals. Kidney, pancreatic, and cancer of the small intestine are three times higher for millennials than previous generations, with millennial women seeing a higher risk of developing liver and bile duct cancers. Learn more about gen x and millennial cancer risk.
