Scientists find possible link between accelerated biological aging and cancer in younger people
A new study suggests that rising cancer rates among younger people may be partly linked to accelerated biological aging. Researchers stress the finding does not yet prove direct causation.
Researchers analyzing large-scale health data have identified a possible connection between a person's biological age and their risk of developing cancer earlier in life. Biological age reflects how quickly the body is actually aging, as opposed to chronological age based on birth date.
The study drew on data from more than 150,000 people in the UK Biobank database, as well as the US "All of Us" research program. Scientists examined blood markers reflecting biological age using the so-called PhenoAge model, which compares a person's health indicators against a typical aging profile.
Findings
The results showed that people whose bodies age faster biologically face a higher risk of early-onset cancer — in some groups, the risk was about 15% higher than for those with a "younger" biological profile. The strongest links were found for lung, digestive-system and uterine cancers. Additional analysis indicated that aging-related signals in the immune system and fat tissue detected in blood may also be associated with specific cancer types.
It is already known that cases of certain cancers, including breast, colorectal and kidney cancer, have been rising among people under 50 in recent years, and scientists are still trying to determine whether lifestyle, environmental factors or biological changes are responsible.
A cautious conclusion
Researchers emphasize that the findings are not yet conclusive. Methods for measuring biological age are relatively new, and different tests can produce varying results. It also remains unclear whether accelerated aging itself causes cancer or whether both are linked to shared underlying risk factors. Measuring biological age could eventually become a useful tool for assessing cancer risk, but researchers say this line of study is still at an early stage.
