New Delhi, India

Fast ageing is becoming more common in newer births and this could be linked to a higher incidence of early-onset solid tumours, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024, held April 5-10.

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The new research was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024.

“We all know cancer is an ageing disease. However, it is really coming to a younger population. So, whether we can use the well-developed concept of biological ageing to apply that to the younger generation is a really untouched area,” Yin Cao, the senior author of the study said.

What is biological age?

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Biological age is different from chronological age (the number of years a person has been alive). It refers to the age of one's cells and tissues based on physiological evidence. For instance, if someone is healthy and fit for their age, their biological age might be lower than their chronological age. Likewise, if someone is in poor physical condition, their biological age may be higher.

“Unlike chronological age, biological age may be influenced by factors such as diet, physical activity, mental health, and environmental stressors. Accumulating evidence suggests that the younger generations may be ageing more swiftly than anticipated, likely due to earlier exposure to various risk factors and environmental insults,” she added.

The study aimed to determine if accelerated ageing, i.e. one's biological age being higher than the chronological age, contributes to the development of cancers at a young age. 

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The research analysed data from almost 1,50,000 participants in the UK Biobank database and calculated their biological age using nine blood biomarkers such as albumin, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, C-reactive protein, glucose, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, white blood cell count, and lymphocyte proportion.

The biological age trend showed that those who were born in or after 1965 had a 17% higher chance of accelerated ageing compared to those who were born between 1950 and 1954.

Also read: Study finds infertility in men tied to higher risk of cancer in families

“By examining the relationship between accelerating ageing and the risk of early-onset cancers, we provide a fresh perspective on the shared etiology of early-onset cancers. If validated, our findings suggest that interventions to slow biological ageing could be a new avenue for cancer prevention, and screening efforts tailored to younger individuals with signs of accelerated ageing could help detect cancers early," Tian said.

The study discovered that a standard deviation increase in accelerated ageing was linked to a 42% higher risk of developing lung cancer, a 22% higher risk of gastrointestinal cancer, and a 36% higher risk of uterine cancer early on. The research could be a game changer in the early diagnosis and prevention of cancer.

Tian highlighted the potential implications of these findings, suggesting that interventions aimed at slowing biological ageing could be a novel approach to cancer prevention.

Since the study only had participants from the United Kingdom it might mean that the findings of this research might not apply to people with different genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions.