Carcinogenesis and Aging

ABSTRACT

The incidence of most types of cancer increases with age in humans and in laboratory animals. Understanding the reasons for this would facilitate the development of strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. Aging predisposes to cancer by at least two mechanisms: accumulation of cells with multiple carcinogenic “hits” on one hand and alterations to systemic factors, such as to immunity and the endocrine system on the other. Both aged animals and humans show increased susceptibility to the effects of tumor promoters, as predicted by the multistage model of carcinogenesis. The complex interplay between nascent tumor and host, and established tumor and host, are both surely affected by aging, making it imperative to understand the impact of aging on carcinogenesis and treatment. The present paper outlines some of the historical background and current concepts related to these issues, as discussed at an international European Commissionsupported conference in October 2007, held in Warsaw, Poland.