Greater Risk of Cancer Related to Diabetes

Wed, 03 Mar 2010
Diabetics are 82% more likely to develop ­pancreatic cancer, so says a recent academic research review.

This study discovered that the likelihood of developing breast cancer was 20% higher for women with diabetes and that diabetics also had a 30% greater chance of being diagnosed with colon cancer.

The UK and Canadian researchers stated that the link between the two conditions was especially strong for individuals with type 2 diabetes and that there is evidence that insulin can promote the growth of cancerous tumours.

However, diabetics who take metformin, a drug for diabetes treatment, are not as likely to develop cancer . The researchers stated that it was possible that this medicine could be used in the future for cancer prevention.

Professor Michael Pollak, from McGill University in Montreal, stated that the benefits of insulin outweigh the risks. Therefore, there is no reason to panic.

"Clinicians need to be prepared to provide up-to-date advice to these people, as ongoing research continues."

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.
Share Us
Follow Us