Adewole S. Adamson, MD, MPP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin. “Ade” is an outstanding researcher with wide-ranging interests — from melanoma diagnosis and cancer epidemiology to overdiagnosis, disparities, and more.
I invited him to discuss a recent paper he co-authored with Gilbert Welch and led by Vishal Patel. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, is titled “The Rise in Early-Onset Cancer in the US Population—More Apparent Than Real.”
In our conversation, Ade walks us through the background of the research question, the key findings, and the open questions that remain. What follows is a live discussion between us, joined by core members of the VKPrasadLab and other guests.
A gem from this interview is this final quote from Ade:
“Whenever somebody tells you that the incidence of something is going up a lot, ask about the outcome of interest, like mortality, especially as it relates to cancer”
I hope you enjoy this rare and thoughtful exchange on a crucial topic: how to understand and contextualize incidence numbers within the broader population.
(free link to the paper here)
