Is cancer becoming more prevalent among the younger population? Oncologist explains new study.

BALTIMORE -- Gen-x and Millenials in the United States have a higher risk of developing 17 of the 34 cancer types compared to older generations, according to a study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society.

In the U.S., about 80,000 young adults, between the ages of 20 to 39, are diagnosed with cancer. 

Their research states that "although we have identified cancer trends associated with birth years, we don't yet have a clear explanation for why these rates are rising."

This phenomenon begs the question: Is cancer becoming more prevalent among the younger population?

"There is clear evidence that's been published in the literature showing an increase in incidence in the number of cancers in younger people," said Dr. Jason Molitoris, an oncologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Molitoris encourages people to have healthcare coverage and to get regular check-ups. 

"What's going to happen?"

Tiffany Walker-Jones, a Maryland mother of four, was paralyzed in shock when she was diagnosed with cancer.

"I cried a lot," Tiffany said. "My kids were there to help me through it because the younger two don't understand."

Tiffany is 38 years old with a long life ahead of her. So, when she heard the three words, "You have cancer," fear and anxiety quickly came rushing in.

On May 30, she was told she had bile duct cancer.

"I went through all the emotions of what's going on. What's going to happen? Am I going to survive this?" Tiffany said.

Weeks earlier, Tiffany woke up with left flank pain. She eventually went to have it checked out.

"Even the nurses thought it was just a kidney stone, and then they did the CT scan, and they found the mass on my liver, then they did an MRI, and they found a lesion on my spine."

"It's a hard diagnosis to accept"

Dr. Jason Molitoris revealed Tiffany's experience is not the anomaly it once was and said he has seen the trend firsthand.

"In my day-to-day practice, it's also very noticeable," Molitoris said. "I see a lot of patients who are younger coming in with cancers that we typically associate with patients who are of older ages."

Unfortunately, Tiffany's cancer is identified as one of the early-onset cancers in the study and is shared by a growing number of young adults.

"I just asked, do I have an expiration date?" Tiffany said. "I think that is the first thing that comes to anybody's mind when they hear 'You have cancer.'"

"What I try to do is, I try to give the patients a sense of what we're going to be going through and I try to give everybody a sense of hope," Molitoris said.

Tiffany said she is hopeful as she battles cancer with the support of her family.

"It's a hard diagnosis to accept, but I think it teaches you to live life to your fullest and not take anything for granted," Tiffany said. "At the end, I've learned cancer doesn't discriminate. It comes after anybody."