Diabetes and cancer link

The symptoms that indicate that a person has, or is likely to develop, diabetes, may also be associated with the killer disease – pancreatic cancer. The information was released by the US National Cancer institute and will be published in the well-read Journal of the American Medical Association.
High insulin levels, and higher bodily resistance to insulin were also found to be associated with a higher cancer risk. Findings indicate that the advice given to people in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes, should also help to reduce risks of contracting pancreatic cancer. These include eating a healthier diet and taking more exercise generally.
When the bodys cells begin to become resistant to insulin, the hormone occurs in far higher than usual levels in a person’s bloodstream. This, researchers say, may be the trigger that provokes pancreatic cancer cells to develop and flourish.
The data analysed by researchers was taken over an extensive period (as much as 16 years) from Finnish men who also smoked. Higher concentrations of blood glucose and insulin, and increased resistance to insulin, were directly linked to patients more at risk from pancreatic cancer.
However, the findings will need to be confirmed through further studies. It is once again proven that the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise cannot be underestimated.