The Almanac No. 4

This edition of The Almanac is free for everyone due to its coverage of rising rates of two types of cancer. I’ve included some resources at the bottom that will, hopefully, offer guidance on the importance of wellness visits with your doctor, how to choose/find a good doctor, how to build a relationship with them, and how to advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office. Getting a pap smear routinely, if you have a uterus, and annual bloodwork is critical to understanding what’s happening within your body. You can also get the HPV vaccine if you haven’t already and you’re between the ages of 9 and 45. 

— Julia

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Study: Cervical cancer rates rising in low-income U.S. counties

The Gist: 

Women in low-income areas of the U.S. face a stark rise in cervical cancer incidence and mortality, according to a new study led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

The results, published in the International Journal of Cancer, demonstrate that the incidence rate for distant-stage cervical cancer has increased most among white women living in low-income counties, at 4.4% annually since 2007. The largest increase in cervical cancer mortality rates occurred in Black women in low-income counties, at 2.9% annually since 2013, despite cancer incidence in this group declining.

“The findings are quite concerning,” said lead author Trisha Amboree, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in Behavioral Science. “Despite decades of improvement due to the widespread implementation of cervical cancer prevention programs in the U.S., our study shows women may be facing disruptions along the screening and treatment continuum that are leading to more distant-stage cancers and, potentially, more deaths.”

In 2019, cervical cancer incidence across all racial and ethnic groups was greater among women living in low-income counties in the U.S., with the highest absolute incidence observed among Hispanic women.

The Nutgraf: 

"These data add to a growing body of evidence indicating widening disparities driven by socioeconomic status,” said co-senior author Jane Montealegre, Ph.D., associate professor of Behavioral Science. “Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), screening and early detection. This continued upward trend calls for scaled-up efforts to eliminate disparities in cervical cancer prevention.”

NYT: Colon Cancer Is Rising Among Younger Adults. Here’s What to Know.

The Gist: 

In a study published by the American Cancer Society in March, researchers estimated that in 2023, 153,000 people in the United States would be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Of those cases, about 13 percent would be among people under 50 — representing a 9 percent increase in cases in this age group since 2020.

Another study, published in August, found that the incidence of cancers in people under 50 grew substantially from 2010 to 2019, with gastrointestinal cancers — including colon cancer — growing the fastest among all early-onset cancers.

While new colorectal cancer diagnoses have been declining among people over 50 since their peak in 1985, the trends for younger people are going in the wrong direction, said Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, a professor of medicine and oncological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Not only that, the authors of the March study reported, but the cancers diagnosed in people under 50 are tending to be more aggressive.

“We’re living in a time when young people in their prime of life are getting colon cancers,” Dr. Itzkowitz said. “And unless we really talk about it, we may not have the opportunity to make as big a dent in this disease as we can.”

The Nutgraf:

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. It starts as a polyp, or an abnormal growth, in the large intestine, which over time may become cancerous and potentially spread to other parts of the body.

Men and women have similar risks of developing the condition, and those risks increase with age. Just five in 100,000 people between ages 30 and 34 in the United States develop colon cancer, for example; whereas 61 in 100,000 people between 50 and 54 get it, and 136 in 100,000 people aged 70 to 74 do. Those who are Black or American Indian/Alaskan Native are most at risk, which many studies attribute to social inequalities and barriers to health care.

Having certain health conditions like obesity or incorporating certain foods or drinks into your diet (such as alcohol or red or processed meats like sausage, pepperoni or hot dogs) is also known to increase risk, as is a sedentary lifestyle.

… the increasing rates of early-onset colorectal cancer are concerning, but the overall risk of someone under 50 developing colon cancer is still incredibly slim.

“I don’t want people to panic,” Dr. Baxter said. Fewer than 15 in 100,000 people between the ages of 20 and 49 had the condition diagnosed between 1998 and 2019. “Age still has the strongest influence on your risk of colorectal cancer,” she added.

She’s right. Don’t panic, just be aware. Here are some resources to help: 

How Important Is an Annual Physical Exam?

How to advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office

How To Pick A Doctor (Or Break Up With One)

How having a good relationship with your doctor can benefit your long-term health