{
  "abstract": "Despite recent evidence of the ability of systemic and organ-specific proteomic aging clocks to predict a large range of age-related diseases, their utility in cancer research remains largely underexplored. In this study, we evaluated the predictive ability of systemic and organ-specific proteomic aging clocks for (i) all-cause mortality, (ii) cancer-related mortality, and (iii) cancer incidence in a sample of Finnish twins (N = 401, mean age at baseline 62.3 years) with Olink proteomic data. Participants were followed for a mean of 10.6 years (SD {+/-} 1.6), with estimates from four systemic and 18 organ-specific proteomic aging clocks calculated at baseline. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for sex and age at baseline identified 15 proteomic aging clocks as significant predictors of all-cause mortality (Ncases = 28) after multiple testing correction (FDR < 0.05), with 11 remaining significant after lifestyle adjustment (Ncases = 27). For several clocks, effect sizes were large, with hazard ratios (HR) approximately doubling per one standard deviation (SD) increase in clock estimates. In predicting cancer-related deaths among participants without a prior cancer diagnosis at baseline (Ncases = 9), only the Immune clock showed a significant positive association after multiple testing correction in basic (HR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.88-4.59) and lifestyle-adjusted models (HR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.78-6.17). No associations with cancer incidence (Ncases = 34 basic, Ncases = 31 adjusted) survived multiple testing correction, although several nominal associations were observed. In conclusion, our findings suggest that proteomic aging clocks are strong predictors of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, independent of lifestyle factors. Proteomic aging clocks may further serve as valuable tools for stratifying cancers by mortality risk.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FINLAND; Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, FINLAN"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "V. M. Lukander"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. M. Kaprio"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Ollikainen"
    },
    {
      "name": "G. Drouard"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8z8wvwkgd2nt8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410v1.full",
  "id": "8z8wvwkgd2nt8",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "epidemiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1302|Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221978292",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8z8wvwkgd2nt8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:57Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365410v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:epidemiology",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Systemic and organ-specific proteomic aging clocks as predictors of cancer incidence and survival: insights from the Finnish Twin Cohort",
  "title_text": "Systemic and organ-specific proteomic aging clocks as predictors of cancer incidence and survival: insights from the Finnish Twin Cohort",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:57Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8z8wvwkgd2nt8",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}