A new study has found that younger generations may be ageing faster at a biological level than previous generations, offering a possible explanation for the steady rise in cancer diagnoses among people under the age of 50.
The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggests that accelerated biological ageing could be associated with the increasing number of early-onset cancers recorded around the world over the past three decades.
Researchers found that people born between 1965 and 1974 showed signs of greater biological ageing than those born between 1950 and 1954. The pattern continued among participants born between 1990 and 1999, who displayed even higher levels of biological ageing than individuals born between 1965 and 1969.
Unlike chronological age, biological age reflects the wear and tear taking place inside the body at the cellular and molecular levels. Scientists believe this may provide a better picture of an individual’s overall health and disease risk.
Yin Cao, associate professor of surgery and medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and co-author of the study, said the findings could help explain why cancers are increasingly affecting younger adults.
“Our findings suggest that some younger adults may be experiencing these biological changes earlier than expected, and that this could be linked to the rising rates of cancers seen in younger generations,” Cao told Oncology Central.
Cancer has traditionally been considered a disease associated with older age, but recent data show a growing number of younger people are being diagnosed. A report published in the British Medical Journal found that new cancer cases among people under 50 have increased by 79 percent globally since 1990.
The trend is also evident among children and teenagers. According to the European Cancer Information System, about 13,800 children and adolescents across the European Union were diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
Scientists have previously suggested that factors such as obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, ultra-processed foods and exposure to microplastics may contribute to the increase. However, the exact reasons remain uncertain.
Researchers stressed that the new study identifies a relationship between accelerated biological ageing and cancer risk but does not prove that one directly causes the other.
John Riches, a clinical reader in cancer immuno-metabolism at the UK’s Barts Cancer Institute, said the research stands out because it examines changes affecting the body as a whole rather than focusing only on cancer cells.
He said the findings support the idea that environmental factors, lifestyle and overall health can influence long-term biological processes linked to disease.
Experts say further studies are needed to determine whether accelerated biological ageing directly contributes to cancer development or whether both are driven by shared underlying factors. Researchers also hope future work could help monitor health trends across different populations and generations, leading to improved prevention and earlier detection strategies.
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