In the U.S., cancer rates are going up—especially for young and middle-aged women, whose cancer diagnoses have surpassed those of men. Women under 50 are now almost twice as likely to develop cancer than men of the same age, according to the American Cancer Society’s latest cancer statistics report—and the gap has been widening since the early 2000s.
Experts say there are likely multiple factors behind the growing cancer rates in young adults, including childhood bacteria exposure and ultra-processed foods. New research indicates another monumental culprit, especially for women: climate change.
