Opportunities for Cancer Prevention During Midlife

This article challenges the idea that cancer cannot be prevented among older adults by examining different aspects of the relationship between age and cancer. Although the sequential patterns of aging cannot be changed, several age-related factors that contribute to disease risk can be. For most adults, age is coincidentally associated with preventable chronic conditions, avoidable exposures, and modifiable risk behaviors that are causally associated with cancer. Midlife is a period of life when the prevalence of multiple cancer risk factors is high and incidence rates begin to increase for many types of cancer. However, current evidence suggests that for most adults, cancer does not have to be an inevitable consequence of growing older. Interventions that support healthy environments, help people manage chronic conditions, and promote healthy behaviors may help people make a healthier transition from midlife to older age and reduce the likelihood of developing cancer. Because the number of adults reaching older ages is increasing rapidly, the number of new cancer cases will also increase if current incidence rates remain unchanged. Thus, the need to translate the available research into practice to promote cancer prevention, especially for adults at midlife, has never been greater.

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“…111 The workshop summary in this supplement highlights potentially promising approaches and strategies for cancer prevention at midlife. 112 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age and Cancer Risk

White

Holman

Boehm

et al. 2014

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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569

241

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“…studies of breast cancer have found that early life exposures during puberty are important determinants of adult breast cancer risk. [23] Other potential mechanisms important for cancer risk include a chronic lack of access to healthcare that minimizes the opportunity for appropriate medical recommendation about cancer risk[24], the higher burden of psychosocial stressors, as well as exposures to environmental pollutants, including lead and infectious agents such as H. Pyori.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifecourse socioeconomic status and cancer‐related risk factors: Analysis of the WHO study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE)

Akinyemiju

Ogunsina

Okwali

et al. 2016

Intl Journal of Cancer

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Few studies have examined cancer-related risk factors in relation to SES across the lifecourse in low to middle income countries. This analysis focuses on adult women in India, China, Mexico, Russia and South Africa, and examines the association between individual, parental and lifecourse SES with smoking, alcohol, BMI, nutrition and physical activity. Data on 22,283 women aged 18 years and older were obtained from the 2007 WHO Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE). Overall, 34% of women had no formal education, 73% had mothers with no formal education and 73% of women had low lifecourse SES. Low SES women were almost 4 times more likely to exceed alcohol use guidelines (OR: 3.86, 95% CI: 1.23–12.10), and 68% more likely to smoke (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.01–2.80) compared with higher SES. Women with low SES mothers and fathers were more likely to have poor nutrition (Mothers OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.17–2.16; Fathers OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11–1.59) and more likely to smoke (Mothers OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.15–1.87; Fathers OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.80–2.63) compared with those with high SES parents. Women with stable low lifecourse SES were more likely to smoke (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.47–4.43), while those with declining lifecourse SES were more likely to exceed alcohol use guidelines (OR: 3.63, 95% CI: 1.07–12.34). Cancer-related risk factors varied significantly by lifecourse SES, suggesting that cancer prevention strategies will need to be tailored to specific subgroups in order to be most effective.

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“…1,2 Fortunately, evidence-based cancer prevention strategies for ameliorating such risk factors are growing. 3,4 Although less is known about what specific interventions should be targeted to particular age groups to reduce cancer risks, there is growing recognition of the value of combining a life-course perspective with public health frameworks and interventions that can be applied to cancer prevention and control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Prevention Among Adults Aged 45–64 Years

Ory

Anderson

Friedman

et al. 2014

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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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.

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Opportunities for Cancer Prevention During Midlife

Cited by 17 publications

References 56 publications

Age and Cancer Risk

Age and Cancer Risk

Lifecourse socioeconomic status and cancer‐related risk factors: Analysis of the WHO study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE)

Cancer Prevention Among Adults Aged 45–64 Years

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