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Type 2 diabetes increases risk for thyroid, pancreas, other cancers
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Adults with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop cancer, particularly in the pancreas, thyroid, liver, lungs, stomach and colon, according to findings published in the Journal of Diabetes.
“We are very confident about our results. This study was not the first one to detect the relationship between type 2 diabetes and increased risk of cancer,” Bin Cui, PhD, a professor at Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases at Ruijin Hospital and Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine in China, told Endocrine Today. “Mostly studies have reported increased risk of total cancer among patients with diabetes, and the association between diabetes and cancer risk depends on specific cancer site.”
Cui and colleagues examined medical records from 410,191 adults with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 61.8 years; 50.2% women) who were included in a registry from Shanghai Hospital Link Center. Participants were identified between 2013 and 2016, and the researchers identified cancer diagnoses in the cohort through 2017, with the total reaching 8,485.
The researchers found that men with type 2 diabetes were significantly more likely to develop leukemia (incidence ratio [IR] = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.23-1.87), lymphoma (IR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.27-1.69) and cancer of the prostate (IR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.72-2), skin (IR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.1-2), thyroid (IR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.27-1.77), kidney (IR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23-1.67), liver (IR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.24-1.54), pancreas (IR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.14-1.56), lung (IR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.18-1.36), colon (IR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.12-1.32) and stomach (IR = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.28) compared with the total population.
Risks for lymphoma (IR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.32-1.86), leukemia (IR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.15-1.85) and cancer of the liver (IR = 2.13; 95% CI, 1.83-2.43), nasopharynx (IR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.15-3.51), esophagus (IR = 2.07; 95% CI, 1.49-2.65), thyroid (IR = 1.95; 95% CI, 1.75-2.15), lung (IR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.7-1.98), pancreas (IR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.36-1.86), uterus (IR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.3-1.86), colon (IR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.38-1.64), breast (IR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.38-1.58), cervix (IR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.04-1.72) and stomach (IR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.12-1.48) were significantly higher for women with type 2 diabetes than the total population, according to the researchers.
Men with type 2 diabetes had less risk for esophagus cancer (IR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.32-1.04), and women with type 2 diabetes had less risk for gallbladder cancer (IR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.57-0.97) compared with the total population.
“This study reveals that patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of cancer,” Cui said. “So for patients with type 2 diabetes, more physical examinations would be required to pay attention to the related risk.” – by Phil Neuffer
For more information:
Bin Cui, PhD, can be reached at Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, China; email: cb11302@rjh.com.cn.
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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