Work

Blood-based PhenoAge may reflect disease burden rather than biological aging in cancer

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Study design: Observational Study

Abstract: PhenoAge, a blood-based biological aging clock, is associated with cancer outcomes, a finding taken as evidence that biological aging shapes prognosis. In 3,067 patients undergoing primary tumor resection, PhenoAge acceleration rose with tumor stage. One or two of its eight blood components, differing by cancer type, carried the prognostic signal, and replacing its general-population weights with equal weights did not weaken it. In cancer, PhenoAge may reflect disease burden rather than biological aging.

Source: medRxiv

DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.15.26365671

Authors: Anish K. Simhal, Jasme Lee, Kay See Tan, Patrick J. McCormick, Gregory W. Fischer, Joseph R. Scarpa, Guillermo Sapiro, Joshua S. Mincer

Institutions: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, Princeton University

Language: English

Topic: Frailty in Older Adults

Subfield: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Office of Naval Research, National Cancer Institute, Army Research Office

Awards: G2051006376, G289723095, G4583515593, G7556015768, Cancer Center Support Grant

OpenAlex ID: W7222980817

Cites: 18

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Related to: 10