The older we get, the higher the risk of developing cancer – actually. The biological mechanisms that repair mutations, DNA damage and eliminate degenerate cells function less and less with age.
The results of a global survey that was recently published in the journal “ BMJ ” were all the more surprising. An international team led by Jianhui Zhao from Zhejiang University in China evaluated the development of 29 types of cancer in people under 50. The data comes from 204 countries and covers the period from 1990 to 2019.
More and more cases of cancer in people under 50 years of age
The frightening result: The number of cancer cases in people under 50 has increased significantly in the last 30 years – by 79 percent worldwide. This increase is particularly noticeable in the 40 to 49 age group, as Zhao and his team determined. The number of cancer-related deaths has increased by 27.7 percent since 1990. As a result, more than a million people under the age of 50 died from cancer worldwide in 2019 alone.
The most common early-onset cancers are, according to the study
Breast cancer bronchial and lung cancer as well as colon cancer.
These types of cancer also account for most deaths in people under 50. The fastest increase, however, was in nasopharyngeal cancer and prostate cancer, the frequency of which has increased by around 2.3 percent in the younger age group since 1990.
Accelerated biological aging process as a possible cause
But why is that? US researchers have now come across an interesting clue in their search for possible causes: They have been able to demonstrate a connection to the accelerated biological aging process, explained Yin Cao, lead author of the study and professor of surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine, at the annual conference of the American Association of Cancer Research, as the US broadcaster “ CNN ” reports.
For their study, their team analyzed medical records of almost 150,000 people between the ages of 37 and 54 from the “UK Biobank” data register. Specifically, they focused on nine blood-based markers which have been proven to be linked to biological age:
Albumin : protein produced by the liver that decreases with age
Creatinine : waste product in the blood that results from the digestion of proteins and the breakdown of muscle tissue; measure of kidney function; lower values are associated with higher life expectancy
Glucose : Blood sugar remains elevated for longer after meals as we age
C-reactive protein : produced by the liver in response to inflammation; relatively high values correspond to faster aging
Lymphocyte proportion : Concentration of these white blood cells, which are responsible for immune function, tends to decrease with age
Mean cell volume : Measurement of the average size of red blood cells, which increases with age
Width of erythrocyte distribution : Difference in size between the smallest and largest erythrocytes in a person; tends to increase with age
Alkaline phosphatase : Enzyme that is produced primarily in the liver and bones and tends to increase with age
White blood cell count : White blood cell counts at the upper end of the normal range may be associated with a higher degree of aging
These nine values were then entered into an algorithm called PhenoAge, which was used to calculate each person’s biological age. The researchers then determined accelerated aging by comparing people’s biological age with their chronological age.
They then checked cancer registries to determine how many people had been diagnosed with early cancer (before age 55).
What faster aging might tell us about cancer risk
The researchers found that people born after 1965 were 17 percent more likely to experience accelerated aging than those born between 1950 and 1954.
They also found that accelerated aging was associated with an increased risk of cancer. The strongest connections were found in…
Lung, stomach and colon cancer as well as uterine cancer
noted.
People who had the most accelerated aging compared to people who had the least
twice the risk of early lung cancer, more than 60 percent higher risk of a gastrointestinal tumor and more than 80 percent higher risk of uterine cancer.
Ruiyi Tian, lead doctoral student in the study, believes it is possible that the lungs are particularly vulnerable to aging because they have only a limited ability to regenerate. Stomach and colon cancer are also associated with inflammation, which increases with age.
Goal: Find out which people are at increased risk of cell aging
Anne Blaes, who studies the effects of biological aging in cancer survivors at the University of Minnesota and is not involved in the study, believes the study results are promising, according to CNN. In this way, risk groups could be better identified and potentially eligible for earlier cancer screening examinations.
“If you find out which people are at higher risk because their cells age faster, you can also specifically intervene in their lifestyle: diet, exercise and sleep,” she says. There are also medications that could slow down the accelerated aging process. However, these are still being tested.
Unhealthy lifestyle as the main risk factor
So the recommendation is once again: pay attention to a healthy lifestyle. Zhao and his team also came to this conclusion in the BMJ study. They examined common risk factors in more detail and recognized that, in addition to genetic factors and environmental pollution, lifestyle probably plays a decisive role.
“Dietary risk factors such as red meat, a lot of salt, little fruit, vegetables and milk, but also alcohol consumption and smoking are the main factors behind early onset cancer cases,” the researchers reported. There were also clear connections with obesity and increased blood sugar levels.
According to the team, at least some of these cancer cases could be delayed, if not prevented, by adopting a healthier lifestyle. In order to break the trend, more information and better early detection are also important. Cancer therapies would also have to be adapted for younger patients.
At a glance: 9 points to reduce your risk of cancer
Cancer experts assume that around 40 percent of all cancer cases could be prevented or at least delayed. The most important measures are:
Avoid being overweight, exercise every day, eat healthily, don’t smoke, drink as little alcohol as possible, avoid carcinogenic substances, protect yourself from UV radiation, vaccinate against cancer (hepatitis B; HPV), take advantage of offers for early cancer detection