medicine

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March 11, 2025

The growing cancer crisis in young adults and a call to action

By Dr. Raphael Cuomo

Over the past several decades, cancer has been predominantly viewed as a disease of aging. Conventional wisdom suggests that the longer we live, the more opportunities our cells have to accumulate genetic mutations that can eventually lead to malignancies. Yet, this paradigm is being upended by a disturbing trend: Cancer is increasingly striking younger adults.

Recent data show that rates of early-onset cancers—those diagnosed in individuals under 50—are rising across multiple cancer types, with colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers showing some of the most dramatic increases. This shift is prompting urgent questions about what could be fueling the trend. While genetics plays a role, the rapid nature of this rise suggests that environmental and lifestyle factors, including changes in diet and the gut microbiome, may be contributing in ways we are only beginning to understand.

Historically, colorectal cancer was considered a disease of older adults, and screening guidelines reflected this assumption. However, in 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45 in response to mounting evidence of rising incidence in younger populations. Similar concerns are emerging for other malignancies, including breast and pancreatic cancer, which are also appearing at increasing rates in adults under 50.

While some researchers have suggested that improvements in early detection may be responsible for part of the increase, this explanation does not fully account for the trend. The data reveal a true rise in incidence, not merely better detection. Moreover, these cancers are often more aggressive when they appear in younger adults, leading to worse prognoses. This makes understanding the underlying risk factors an urgent priority.

November 10, 2023

Risks of fracking are “real and growing,” report warns

By Dana Drugmand

The human and environmental health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, are indisputable and growing, according to a new report synthesizing nearly a decade of research.

The Fracking Science Compendium, ninth edition was released in October by Concerned Health Professionals of New York and Physicians for Social Responsibility, and adds to evidence of numerous problems posed by natural gas extraction through fracking and fracking-associated infrastructure, from pipelines and compressor stations to appliances such as gas furnaces and stoves. The report compiles data and conclusions from thousands of studies, including peer-reviewed papers, investigative media reports and government documents.

“Our examination uncovered no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health directly or without imperiling climate stability upon which human health depends,” the report states.

For years, scientists have warned that living in close proximity to a fracking operation elevates one’s risk of developing various diseases or health impairments, and the science substantiating these exposure-based outcomes has only gotten more robust over the years.

“This rapidly growing body of hundreds of studies supports the conclusion that fracking causes a variety of adverse health effects in fetuses, infants, children, and adults,” Dr. Ted Schettler, a retired physician and public health expert and science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, said in a webinar held this week to discuss the report results.

August 25, 2022

Air pollution can raise risk of Covid-19 death 51%, study says

By Pam Strayer

People who are live in areas that come with long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution face a 50% higher chance of dying from Covid-19, and thousands of lives could have been saved during the pandemic if air quality standards were met, a new public health research study has found.

The study, which focused on California residents, is the latest of several exploring the impacts of air pollution on the incidence and severity of Covid-19 infections. And the research adds to a growing body of global research highlighting the importance of reducing air pollution.

The researchers determined that 9%, or at least 4,250 Covid-19 deaths could have been prevented if California met national air quality standards.

The most vulnerable people in terms of air pollution exposure were likely to be Latinos and those living in low-income areas, the researchers found.

The study, published in Environmental Advances, was authored by Paul English, director of the Public Health Institute and its “Tracking California” program, along with ten other researchers, including some affiliated with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) department of medicine and the UCSF department of epidemiology and biostatistics.

“People of color live in communities that have some of the worst air pollution and also have greater chances of getting sick and even greater chances of dying from COVID,” English said in a release announcing the study.

April 23, 2022

Guest column: What are pesticides doing to pregnancies? We’re trying to find out.

As we collectively pass what many consider to be two-year anniversary of COVID emergence, the field of clinical research has never been more visible in our day-to-day lives. Published studies on viral mechanisms, promising treatments, and vaccine development, among other COVID-related topics, have dominated media reports since early 2020.

Unfortunately, the laser-like focus on the story of COVID has left other research areas in the shadows, fighting for time, attention, and funding.