Cancer has traditionally been more common among older adults, but in recent years, more younger people have been diagnosed.
According to researchers, the number of cancer cases among people under the age of 50 increased by 24 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2019. The findings are based on data from a study published in Nature Medicine.
In several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, people born in the 1990s also face a significantly higher risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer than those born in the 1960s.
Researchers examined the body
To identify a possible explanation, the researchers analyzed data from more than 154,000 participants in the UK Biobank and more than 10,000 people enrolled in a U.S. research project.
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Using blood samples and genetic analyses, they measured the participants' biological age.
Biological age reflects how much wear and tear the body has experienced over a lifetime and may differ from a person's chronological age.
A possible explanation
The study found that younger generations, on average, are experiencing faster biological aging than previous generations.
People with the most advanced biological aging were also at greater risk of developing cancer before the age of 50.
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The association remained even after the researchers accounted for inherited genetic risk factors.
The researchers do not yet know why biological aging appears to be accelerating.
According to the study, environmental factors, lifestyle, and social conditions may all play a role. The findings therefore suggest that accelerated biological aging could be an important explanation for why more young people are developing cancer.
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