Trends in Incidence of Cancers Associated With Obesity and Other Modifiable Risk Factors Among Women, 2001–2018

Abstract

We used data from the US Cancer Statistics database to determine trends in cancer incidence, stratified by age, race, and ethnicity, among women aged 20 years or older during an 18-year study period (2001–2018). We limited analysis to cancers associated with 5 modifiable risk factors: tobacco use, excess body fat, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical activity, and human papillomavirus infection. The incidence of cancers associated with obesity have risen, particularly among women aged 20 to 49 years (vs ≥50 y) and among Hispanic women. Strategies that address obesity rates in these populations may help decrease cancer risk. Objective Cancer incidence rates are rising and are projected to increase by 30% among US women by 2030 (1). An estimated 934,870 new cases of cancer among women are expected in 2022, with breast, lung, and colorectal cancer accounting for 51% of new cases (2). Approximately 42% of cancers among men and women are associated with modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, excess body fat, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical activity, and infections (3). Approximately 19% of incident cancers have been attributed to cigarette smoking, 7.8% to excess body weight, and 5.6% to alcohol consumption (3). Given the rising cancer incidence rates among young women and the increasingly diverse and aging US population (1), we sought to determine trends in cancer incidence rates by race and ethnicity and age group during an 18-year period. We focused on cancers associated with 5 modifiable risk factors: tobacco use, excess body fat, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical activity, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (4).