Type 2 diabetes is linked to an elevated risk of 11 types of cancer in men and 13 types of cancer in women, according to a large study published in the journal. 'Journal of Diabetes', and that has analyzed the largest number of people with diabetes in an investigation to date.
The possible association between diabetes and cancer risk has been studied for a long time, but the findings have been inconsistent. In this new work, carried out in China, the researchers examined the information from the Shanghai Hospital Link database. They identified 410,191 adults with type 2 diabetes (and no history of cancer) between July 2013 and December 2016. Patients were followed until December 2017 to assess the development of cancer.
A total of 8,485 cases of newly diagnosed cancer were identified. Men and women with diabetes had 34 percent and 62 percent more risk of developing cancer than men and women in the general population, respectively.
Among men, the highest risk was for prostate cancer: diabetes was related to a higher risk of this malignancy. Diabetes was also linked to increased risks of leukemia, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, lymphoma, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer. In contrast, a significant decrease in the risk of esophageal cancer was observed.
In women, the highest risk was cancer of the nasopharynx: diabetes was related to a twice-increased risk of this malignancy. Diabetes was also linked to increased risks of liver cancer, esophageal cancer, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, lymphoma, uterine cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and stomach cancer. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in the risk of gallbladder cancer.