Comparative Analysis of Aging-related Metabolic and Biological Markers between Cancer Survivors and Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Cancer survivors may exhibit biological and metabolic changes linked to both cancer and its treatment. This systematic review aimed to compare metabolic and biological aging-related biomarkers between cancer survivors and healthy individuals. The primary electronic databases utilized to search papers from 2019 to 2024 were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Boolean operators were combined with specific keywords and MESH terms in searching the articles. After excluding protocol papers, studies with incorrect designs or populations, and animal studies, 27 articles were selected for data extraction, synthesis, and quality evaluation. The articles were checked for quality by using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) checklist for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Cancer survivors had significant differences in aging-related metabolic and biological biomarkers compared to a healthy population. These include aberrant DNA methylation (hypermethylation, hypomethylation, and epigenetic modification), abnormal expression levels of lipid profiles (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein level, malondialdehyde, and apolipoprotein C-1), inflammatory markers (interleukins, C-reactive protein, and TNF-α), immune-senescence (Cellular Communication Network Factor 3 protein), energy regulation (leptin, adiponectin, and mitochondria function profiles), and poor oral and bone health. These findings reflect the accelerated biological age and increased vulnerability to age-related diseases among cancer survivors, as compared to healthy populations. However, considering the cross-sectional design limitations, causal relationships between cancer diagnosis and alterations in biological aging cannot be confirmed. To establish whether cancer itself contributes to accelerated aging, future longitudinal studies are needed that assess metabolic and biological biomarkers in individuals from the time of diagnosis onward.