Young Cancer: Tanner and Shay

AMERICAN FORK, UT - FEBRUARY 7: Shay Martin, 28, poses for the camera to show off her pregnant baby bump for social media followers at her home on February 7, 2025, in American Fork, UT. In 2020, her husband, Tanner Martin, was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. At the time, he was going to school for a bachelor's degree in psychiatry and had just celebrated his second wedding anniversary with his wife, who is now due to give birth to their daughter in June. Most cancers in the United States are found in people age 65 and older, but a new study shows a concerning trend: Cancer among younger Americans, particularly women, is on the rise, with gastrointestinal, endocrine and breast cancers climbing at the fastest rates. There is not a clear explanation why cancer rates are rising among younger people, but experts say there are several possible reasons behind the trend, including rising obesity rates and lifestyle factors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, sleeping poorly and being sedentary. Environmental factors, including exposure to pollutants and carcinogenic chemicals, also probably play a role. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)