Accelerated biological ageing linked to early‑onset cancers in women, lifestyle changes boost survival

A recent study published in Nature Medicine examined data from more than 154,000 participants in the UK Biobank and validated findings in the U.S. All of Us cohort. It found that younger generations show higher markers of biological ageing, a "biological age gap," which is associated with a greater risk of early‑onset solid tumours such as lung, colorectal and uterine cancers, particularly among women.

A separate review cited by The Washington Post highlighted that modifiable habits can markedly improve outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. Quitting smoking was linked to up to a 30% increase in survival, while reducing alcohol intake lowered the risk of second cancers. Regular physical activity was described as "medicine complementaria," reducing all‑cause mortality by about a third for breast‑cancer patients and similarly for prostate‑cancer patients. Together, these findings underscore the importance of both biological‑age monitoring and lifestyle interventions in cancer prevention and survivorship.