Cancer Prevention Among Adults Aged 45–64 Years

Abstract

As part of setting the stage for this supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a life-course perspective is presented to assist in understanding the importance of cancer prevention for adults in midlife, a period roughly spanning 20 years between ages 45 and 64 years. Drawing on disciplinary perspectives from the social sciences and public health, several life-course themes are delineated in this article: how specific life transitions present unique opportunities for interventions to inform policy and practice that can improve population health outcomes; how interventions can be focused on those at particular life stages or on the entire life course; and how the onset and progression of chronic conditions such as cancer are dependent on a complex interplay of critical and sensitive periods, and trajectory and accumulation processes. A translational research framework is applied to help promote the movement of applied public health interventions for cancer prevention into practice. Also explored are differences that can affect people at midlife relative to other age cohorts. Specifically, cancer-related risks and care networks are examined, with examples of public health strategies that can be applied to cancer prevention and control. As a conclusion, select methodologic issues and next steps for advancing research and practice are identified.

Age and Cancer Risk

“…By 2030, an estimated 70% of all cancers will occur among adults aged ≥65 years. The challenges posed to the U.S. healthcare system by the expected increase in cancer incidence are considerable 10,11,16,17 and point to the growing need to focus on opportunities for primary prevention rather than relying on treatment alone.…”

“…As described by Ory and colleagues elsewhere in this supplement, midlife represents a “watershed” period for cancer prevention. 10 …”

Opportunities for Cancer Prevention During Midlife

“…11 This phase of life covers a large portion of the life span and constitutes the second-fastest-growing segment of the U.S population. 12 Adults in this phase of life often juggle multiple roles (e.g., caregiver to parents and/or children, working professional) and must balance work and family responsibilities amid the physical and psychological changes that come with aging.…”

Obesity and onset of depression among U.S. middle-aged and older adults

“…Across the life span, the prevalence of overweight and obesity peaks in midlife (roughly between 40 and 60 years of age) [2]. Midlife is also a period when host immunity begins to decline and the effects of unhealthy body weight and other poor health habits accumulate [19]. The declined immunity may make middle-aged and older adults particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of obesity.…”