Cancer in young adults on the rise [Video]

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dr. Joyce Ohm, Chair of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is an epigenetics expert. 

She is aware of the uptick in cancer cases among people under age 50.

“We wish we completely understood it. It’s something that’s been observed in the clinic for quite some time. These early onset cancers are things that normally we wouldn’t see until patients would be in their 60’s, 70’s and later in life, and now we’re seeing them in not only the 50’s but the 40’s and the 30’s and even into our young adult population. Diseases like colon cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer are popping up in younger and younger individuals, and we don’t completely understand why. It’s likely a combination of things, whether it’s additional genetic changes or environmental things that are starting to affect us.,” Dr. Ohm said.

When it comes …