Being a woman isn’t easy. We have ever-growing to-do lists and navigate the daily challenges that come with keeping our families well, our careers thriving and our health in order.
With so many built-in life stressors, as women it’s difficult to hear that while cancer rates are falling for men, they are on the rise for younger women — representing a shift in the status quo. Keep reading to learn more from our experts about why the numbers are higher for women and what we can do to stay healthy.
Women Have Higher Cancer Rates Than Men for the First Time
For the first time, cancer rates in women between the ages 50 and 64 have surpassed those in men. In 2021, women under age 50 had an 82% higher cancer rate than men the same age, compared with 51% in 2002. The trend may be in part because of rising rates of breast and thyroid cancer in younger women, which are much more common in women, along with declining rates of melanoma, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and prostate cancer in men under 50 during those two decades.
Experts theorize that the trend reflects different variables, including more cancers impacting younger people overall with a significant portion of them being cancers unique to women, such as cervical cancer and that more than 99% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women.
Another example is lung cancer, which can affect any gender, but the rates are now showing higher in women likely because women are historically slower to pick up the habit of heavy smoking and slower to quit.
What Do the Numbers of Female Cancer Cases Mean?
This information is not to cause fear, but to empower women to own their health by living a wholesome lifestyle and getting regular screenings. Higher cancer rates do not equate to higher death rates from cancer. In fact, research shows that mortality rates from cancer declined by 34% between the years of 1991 and 2022.
This trend in the right direction reflects the importance of early detection through screenings, better treatment options and an overall decrease in smoking (which puts a person at high risk for many cancers). The connection between modern medicine, health awareness and their positive impact on cancer survival rates is clear. While we’re bound to see higher cancer rates in a growing population, the key is staying proactive and catching it early.
Whole-Person Health Care for Every Woman
We understand that being a woman isn’t easy, and that women’s health care is complex. No matter your age and life stage, our women’s care experts at AdventHealth are here to guide you along your wellness journey every step of the way.
From annual well-woman visits and screening mammograms to guided prenatal care and finding solutions for your most sensitive concerns, your dedicated team at AdventHealth delivers care that’s as unique as you are.
Visit us here to learn more. You deserve to feel whole.
