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Younger generations may be aging faster than their predecessors, and this may be linked to a rise in early-onset cancers, a new study suggests.There have been recent increases in the rates of some cancers among adults under 50, including breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine cancers. One 2023 paper suggests that these early-onset cancer diagnoses rose by 25% globally between 1990 and 2019, and scientists are still investigating why."The trend of increased cancers at younger ages is very real, and it is not simply because of more efficient diagnosis, or diagnosis at earlier stages," said Dr. Jyoti Nangalia, a hematologist and cancer researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the U.K. who was not involved in the new study. 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The greater gap among younger adults seems to be linked with a higher risk of developing cancer early in life.The new study cannot prove that faster biological aging causes early-onset cancer, but it provides new clues for scientists trying to unpack what might be driving the worrying trend."This is really proof-of-concept," study co-author Yin Cao, a molecular and clinical epidemiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center, told Live Science.Concerning trends lurking in dense dataChronological age is straightforward: It's the number of years that have passed since a person's birth. "Biological age," however, can vary wildly from one person to another. This catch-all term describes a range of metrics, including markers on DNA and in the bloodstream. These are often measured using "aging clocks," which aim to determine if the body is acting much older than its chronological age. Scientists have increasingly used these summary measures in an attempt to understand why some people are more prone to age-related diseases than others. To check whether there could be a link between biological age and the rise in early cancers, the new study analyzed data from more than 150,000 adults in the UK Biobank, a long-running project that has been tracking the health of about half-a-million U.K. adults since the mid2000s. The participants had provided blood samples, with many already measured for markers used to track biological aging. The study authors plugged these results into PhenoAge, a statistical model that estimates a person's "age gap" at a given chronological age. In essence, this model can compare snapshots of two 40-year-olds one born in 1950 and the other in 1965 and see if their blood markers suggest they're the same biological age."The traditional approach is really focusing on individual risk factors" for cancer, such as a history of obesity or a high intake of ultraprocessed foods, Cao said. "We are testing whether we can leverage these large biobanks and potentially find some biological imprint as a potential reflection of many exposures that can be linked with cancer risk," she said. The analysis revealed a concerning pattern: UK Biobank participants born between 1965 and 1974 had a larger age gap than those born between 1950 and 1954 at the same chronological ages. Based on PhenoAge's metrics, the younger cohort had systemic aging levels about 0.23 standard deviations higher than the older cohort a modest shift toward older-looking biology. The researchers applied this same approach to about 10,000 participants in the U.S. National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program, another large biobank. There, they found a more pronounced pattern: People born between 1990 and 1999 had age gaps about 0.92 standard deviations higher than those born between 1965 and 1969.Another blood-based aging clock, called the Klemera-Doubal method, showed broadly similar patterns to PhenoAge, albeit slightly weaker ones, the study found.One type of cancer that's on the rise in adults under 50 is breast cancer. (Image credit: kali9 via Getty Images)Real trend or data mirage?In the UK Biobank cohort, the researchers found that participants with higher age gaps were more likely to develop early-onset solid cancers, meaning cancerous tumors that appear in tissues, rather than "liquid" cancers present in bodily fluids. This link was strongest for lung, gastrointestinal and uterine cancers. This finding was based on the patients' medical records. When the participants were divided into three groups based on their biological ages, those in the highest group had a roughly 15% higher risk of early-onset solid cancer than those in the lowest group.To probe deeper, the authors used a different model that estimates biological aging at the level of specific organs and systems, using patterns of proteins in the blood. In almost 20,000 UK Biobank participants, they found that markers suggesting an "older-than-expected" immune system were linked with a higher risk of early-onset lung cancer. Similarly, markers suggesting older-than-expected fat tissue were linked with a higher risk of early-onset colorectal cancer.Does this mean younger generations are aging faster and that's causing the rise in cancers? Maybe, but maybe not there are important caveats to the study's findings. The patterns will need to be confirmed in other datasets and populations, Cao noted. Biological aging tests, including PhenoAge, are also relatively new, and their implications aren't fully understood. While they clearly capture something about health and risk at the population level, at the individual level, different biological age tests can give very different answers for the same person. That raises questions about what any single score really means for individual health. It may be that the differences PhenoAge uncovered between younger and older people have to do with how the test was originally calibrated, Stephen Burgess, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email. To know if that's the case, one would have to dig deeper into how PhenoAge scores are calculated and see if that might have skewed its assessment of the UK Biobank and All of Us cohorts, he said.Related storiesMore young people are getting colorectal cancer here's what scientists think might be happeningBiological aging may not be driven by what we thoughtNew 'biological aging' test predicts your odds of dying within the next 12 monthsCao added that, while PhenoAge scores have been tied to mortality risk across a range of adults, the test "requires further validations" when it comes to assessing cancer risk. As with any observational study using large databases, it is hard to untangle cause and effect, Nangalia added. "The main issue for this paper is one of correlation versus causality," she said. "Either way, it is useful with the first, as a potential way of tracking population health and cancer risk, and with the second, as insights into cancer-causing mechanisms." Cao hopes her team's approach will serve as another useful tool to figure out why more young people are getting cancer. " Hopefully this is just a starting point," Cao said.

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Advertisement Eswatini Opposition Pushes for China Ties to Unlock Economic GrowthEswatinis opposition leaders have intensified calls for the kingdom to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China, arguing that such a move could unlock new economic opportunities and accelerate inclusive development.Led by senior officials of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), the campaign urges the government to adopt the One China policy and reposition the countrys foreign policy to attract greater investment, industrialisation, and regional trade.According to PUDEMO National Treasurer and human rights activist Valephi Mamba, the opposition believes a diplomatic reset would benefit ordinary citizens rather than a select few.We are ready to support Eswatini in building relations with Beijing for the sake of economic development and broad-based prosperity, Mamba said. Decades of diplomatic ties with Taiwan have not translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary people.He said senior PUDEMO leaders, including President Mlungisi Makhanya and Deputy President Wandile Dludlu, have already travelled to Beijing for consultations on recognising the One China policy and exploring opportunities in trade, investment, and industrial development.Mamba explained that the engagements were coordinated from neighbouring South Africa because of resistance from Eswatinis political leadership.Despite the long-standing relationship with Taiwan, the countrys leadership continues to ignore the limited economic returns that ordinary citizens have experienced, he said.Eswatini Opposition Pushes for China Ties to Unlock Economic GrowthOpposition Calls for Broader Economic BenefitsMamba argues that the current diplomatic relationship largely benefits the monarchy and politically connected elites while leaving many citizens behind.The public increasingly views Taiwans support as something captured by a narrow elite, he said. Our priority should be creating jobs, reducing poverty, and expanding opportunities for everyone. Transparent partnerships with China could help achieve those goals.He believes Chinese investment could strengthen manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, and small businesses if implemented under clear governance structures.According to Mamba, Eswatini should focus on partnerships that stimulate production, create employment, and improve household incomes rather than projects with limited direct economic impact.Concerns Over Strategic Oil ReserveMamba also questioned Taiwans recently announced US$300 million Strategic Oil Reserve Facility at Phuzumoya.While acknowledging its contribution to energy security, he argued that the project would do little to address the countrys immediate economic challenges.An oil reserve does not feed families or create the number of decent jobs that Eswatini urgently needs, he said. Investments of this scale should target labour-intensive industries, agro-processing, infrastructure, and financing for small and medium-sized enterprises.He added that such sectors have greater potential to stimulate inclusive economic growth and reduce unemployment.Mamba further criticised what he described as a contradiction between Taiwans democratic values and its continued support for Eswatinis absolute monarchy.In our view, that relationship has neither encouraged democratic reforms nor expanded opportunities for broader political participation, he said.Accountability Must Remain CentralAlthough Mamba supports stronger ties with China, he stressed that any future partnership must prioritise transparency, accountability, and public oversight.Any shift toward Beijing must come with strong accountability mechanisms, he said. Otherwise, we simply change diplomatic partners while peoples lives remain exactly the same.He argued that Eswatinis limited oversight structures make it difficult to ensure development resources reach citizens regardless of where investment originates.According to Mamba, future agreements should include measurable development targets, public reporting, and safeguards against misuse of resources.Foreign Policy and DevelopmentMamba believes Eswatini has reached a defining moment in its foreign policy.He urged policymakers to evaluate international partnerships based on measurable economic outcomes rather than historical diplomatic relationships.Eswatini should reassess its international alignment and pursue stronger relations with China as part of a long-term strategy for industrialisation and regional integration, he said.The real question is simple. Will ordinary citizens enjoy better livelihoods five years from now? If the answer is no, then the policy has failed.As debate over Eswatinis diplomatic future intensifies, PUDEMO continues to advocate for a foreign policy centred on economic transformation, job creation, and inclusive growth.The opposition believes the country has an opportunity to reposition itself within a changing global landscape while strengthening regional trade and attracting new investment.This is not simply about geopolitics, Mamba concluded. It is about putting food on peoples tables, building industries, creating jobs, and ensuring Eswatinis future benefits all its people.The writer is Rading Biko, a freelance journalist with China Daily Global Newspaper.The post Eswatini Opposition Pushes for China Ties to Unlock Economic Growth appeared first on Africa Business News.