Cancer research identifies age and diet as key risk factors

Medical research is highlighting new insights into cancer risk factors. According to the French National Cancer Institute (INCa), age is the primary internal risk factor for cancer, surpassing tobacco and alcohol. In France, the median age at diagnosis is 68 for women and 70 for men. While tobacco remains the leading preventable cause, with approximately 68,000 new cases annually in France, the biological reality of aging significantly increases the probability of tumor development.

In a separate development, researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky have identified a link between diet and lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer responsible for 40% of cases globally. Published in Nature Metabolism, the study suggests that glycogen—a glucose storage molecule derived from carbohydrates—may act as a fuel source for cancer cell proliferation. Using spatial metabolomics, scientists observed significantly higher levels of glycogen in human lung cancer tissues, offering new potential avenues for prevention and treatment.