Associations of seven measures of biological age acceleration with frailty and all-cause mortality among adult survivors of childhood cancer in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort

Abstract

Survivors of childhood cancer may experience accelerated biological aging, resulting in premature frailty and death. We used seven measures of biological age in the St. Jude Lifetime (SJLIFE) Cohort to compare biological age acceleration between the SJLIFE Cohort and the third United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey controls, explore trajectories of biological age according to cancer treatment and type, and test associations of biological age acceleration with frailty and death (mean follow-up of 26.5 years) among survivors. Survivors of cancer aged 5% faster per year and measured, on average, 0.6–6.44 years biologically older compared to controls and 5–16 years biologically older compared to age-matched individuals at the population level. Survivors treated with hematopoietic cell transplant and vinca alkaloid chemotherapy evidenced the fastest trajectories of biological aging. Biologically, older and faster-aging survivors consistently and robustly had a higher risk of frailty and died earlier than those with slower biological aging, suggesting a potential opportunity to intervene on excess aging. Guida et al. assess seven measures of biological age in SJLIFE Cohort and reveal that survivors of cancer age faster than healthy controls and have increased risk of frailty and death. The aging trajectory is further affected by cancer type and therapy.