New research suggests that surviving cancer at a young age may accelerate aging in both the body and brain.
A new study finds that people who survive cancer during adolescence or early adulthood tend to show signs of aging sooner than those who never had the disease. The research points to changes not only in the body’s cells but also in brain abilities tied to memory, focus, and how quickly information is processed.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. The study was led by AnnaLynn Williams, PhD, a researcher at the University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute, with Kevin Krull, PhD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital serving as co-corresponding author.
Researchers at Wilmot are now exploring encouraging possibilities. Williams said that some aspects of accelerated aging may be reversible if young adults adopt healthier habits such as stopping smoking, staying physically active, improving their diet, and making other positive lifestyle changes.
“Young cancer survivors have many more decades of life to live,” she said. “So, if these accelerated aging changes are occurring early on and setting them on a different trajectory, the goal is to intervene to not only increase their lifespan but improve their quality of life.”
Links Between Biological Aging and Brain Function
Many people treated for cancer in childhood or young adulthood are in the middle of major life transitions, including completing school, launching careers, living independently, or starting families. When brain health is affected, these goals can become harder to achieve.
