Surge in Early-Onset Cancers Linked to Accelerated Aging

According to recent research, cancer diagnosed in people under the age of 50, known as early-onset cancer, is increasing. Cancer Statistics 2024 report states that cervical and colorectal cancer diagnoses have increased in younger males and females. Another recent study reported that the early-onset incidence of 29 cancers increased by about 79% globally between 1990 and 2019, with early-onset cancer deaths also rising by about 28% during that time. 

Even though the data shows early onset cancer is increasing, scientists are not entirely sure what the cause is of it. A common factor found by the scientists are lifestyle and environmental factors. Another new study suggests accelerated biological ageing might be the driving factor of early-onset cancers.  

In this study, researchers analyzed the data of more than 148,000 people in the UK Biobank. Each participant’s biological age was calculated from the readings of nine biomarkers in their blood.  

They are  

• Albumin — the most common protein in the blood released by the liver 
• Alkaline phosphatase — a blood enzyme that helps break down proteins 
• Creatinine — a normal waste product in your body that helps measure how well a person’s kidneys are performing 
• C-reactive protein — indicates inflammation in the body 
• Glucose — the amount of sugar in the blood 
• Mean corpuscular volume — measures the size of red blood cells 
• Red cell distribution width — looks for abnormalities in the shape and size of red blood cells 
• White blood cell count — measure the number of white blood cells — which are part of the body’s immune system — in the blood 
• Lymphocyte proportion — measures the amount of a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes in the blood. 

If a participant’s biological age was higher than their chronological age, researchers considered them to have accelerated aging.Researchers examined the biological age and accelerated aging data and concluded that participants born in or after 1965 had a 17% increased likelihood of accelerated aging compared to those born between 1950 and 1954. 

It was also found that accelerated aging was linked to a 16% increased risk of late-onset, defined in this study as gastrointestinal cancer after age 55, and a 23% heightened risk of late-onset uterine cancer. Findings suggest that interventions to slow biological aging could be a new avenue for cancer prevention, and screening efforts tailored to younger individuals with signs of accelerated aging could help detect cancers early. 

Cellular aging is a concept that people should be aware of since it is increasingly becoming a sought-after topic. People should be familiar with it because it has some implications not only in cancer development but also in human diseases in general.