Old age reduces cancer risk, research claims
Age is a key risk factor for cancer, given that cells are prone to genetic mutations over time that can potentially trigger cancer growth. Now, a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center study has furnished new evidence on how advanced age can also act as a protective shield against cancer.
The mouse model study has underlined the fact that little is yet known about how aging changes the biology of cancer. Aging cells lose their capacity for renewal, and consequently the typical runaway growth of cancer becomes unlikely in the age span of 80 to 85, the study contends.
This seminal research has thrown guiding light on the key role of iron in boosting aging cells’ regenerative ability, thereby suggesting that therapies targeting iron metabolism may prove more effective in younger people. Having said that, this restored regenerative ability also runs the risk of increasing the tissue’s ability to develop cancer. Hence, the study authors caution, this approach might not be appropriate for people at a high risk of developing cancer.
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Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist
1wUsually the logic seems to be opposite to this due to increased wear and tear in the advanced age. More research needed to definitely prove this