Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41121237›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2025

Profile of biological aging in first primary cancers: a pan-cancer analysis of two large-scale cohorts from the UK and Hong Kong.

Yongle Zhan, Ruofan Shi, Xiaohao Ruan, Chi Yao, Tsun Tsun Stacia Chun, Jiacheng Liu, Salida Ali, Ruochen Ma, Da Huang, Jingyi Huang and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Yongle Zhan *Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Ruofan Shi *Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Xiaohao RuanDepartment of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chi YaoDepartment of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Tsun Tsun Stacia ChunDepartment of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Jiacheng LiuDepartment of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Salida AliDepartment of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Ruochen MaDepartment of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Da HuangDepartment of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jingyi HuangDepartment of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Adrian Chun Yin LamLKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Ada Tsui-Lin NgDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
Weiguo HuMedical Center On Aging of Ruijin Hospital, MCARJH, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. wghu@rjh.com.cn.
Rong NaDepartment of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. narong.hs@gmail.com.

Funding

Health and Medical Research Fund 11221566Research Grant Council Research Impact Fund R7007-22Seed Fund for Translational and Applied Research of University Research Committee 755202216Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau Science and Technology Program (Category C) SGDX20220530111403024
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAging is a major risk factor for cancer, but the landscape of biological aging across different cancer types and its interplay with genetic risk remains unclear. This study aims to depict the biological aging profiles in specific cancers across diverse populations and investigate the bidirectional relationship between aging and cancer.

methodsThis study included 414,599 participants from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 83,788 participants from the electronic health record database of Hong Kong Hospital Authority (EHR-HK). Multivariable Cox and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between biological age acceleration (BioAgeAccel) and site-specific cancers in the UKB and EHR-HK, respectively. In the UKB cohort (n = 387,066), we further computed cancer-specific polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) to quantify the relative contributions of aging and genetics to cancer incidence and mortality. A nested two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis within one-sample setting was employed to explore the reciprocal causality between aging and cancer.

resultsCompared to cancer-free individuals, the most pronounced BioAgeAccel disparities were observed in liver cancer (mean difference (MD): 5.9 years) within the UKB, and oesophageal cancer (MD = 18.4 years) within the EHR-HK. A 5-year increment in BioAgeAccel was associated with elevated overall cancer risk, with leukaemia demonstrating the highest hazard ratio in the UKB (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.11-1.15) and oesophageal cancer exhibiting the highest odds ratio in the EHR-HK (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.33-1.81). PAF analyses revealed that BioAgeAccel contributed to 47% of lung cancer incidence and 60% of lung cancer-specific mortality, exceeding contributions from genetic risk. Significant interactions between genetics and aging were identified for colorectal, lung and non-melanoma skin cancer. Bidirectional MR analyses demonstrated the reciprocal relationship between BioAgeAccel and lung cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.11-1.51; cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.05 (1.02-1.08)), female breast cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: 1.09 (1.02-1.15); cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.05 (1.03-1.07)), and prostate cancer (aging-to-cancer nexus: 1.08 (1.01-1.16); cancer-to-aging nexus: 1.02 (1.00-1.03)).

conclusionsThis pan-cancer study reveals intricate interrelationships between biological aging and cancer, particularly in lung, prostate, and female breast cancer, with population-specific patterns and synergistic genetic interactions. Findings underscore the potential for aging-targeted strategies in cancer prevention and treatment.

Indexed as

AgingNeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHong KongHumansIncidenceMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisMiddle AgedRisk FactorsUnited KingdomBidirectional Mendelian randomizationBiological ageCohortGeneticPan-cancerReciprocal relationship

Identifiers

PMID41121237
PMCPMC12538744

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.