While cancer survival is increasing significantly, complications are reducing the quality of life for many survivors, says lead author Lykke Sylow, professor of nutrition at the University of Copenhagen: “Our study demonstrates that there is a high risk of developing diabetes, especially in the case of cancer of the lung, pancreas, breast, brain, urinary tract or uterus”.
Certain types of cancer more likely to increase metabolic risk.
This consortium of researchers from the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, the Rigshospitalet and the Department of Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen shows here that a cancer diagnosis is, in general, associated with a high risk of developing diabetes. The study looked at epidemiological data from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Public Health, derived from the analysis of 112 million blood samples from 1.3 million Danish participants;
- more than 50,000 participants developed cancer;
- certain types of cancer including cancer of the lung, pancreas, breast, brain, urinary tract or uterus are associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes.
What explanations? The researchers put forward several hypotheses.
- different cancer therapies may contribute to this increased risk;
- the cancer itself can affect the rest of the body and induce a metabolic disorder: the cancerous cells indeed secrete substances which can affect the organs and possibly contribute to this increased incidence of diabetes.
Diabetes affects survivability: people with cancer who then develop diabetes do not have the same life expectancy as cancer survivors who do not develop diabetes. This finding applies regardless of the type of cancer. Finally, overall, the analysis finds a 21% excess mortality among cancer survivors who develop diabetes following cancer diagnosis.
L’implication is clear, better screening for diabetes in cancer patients. Diabetes screening in cancer patients might indeed allow not only a better quality of life but also an increased survival.
“We have exceptionally effective options for treating diabetes and early intervention might impact many cancer patients”. In prevention, it would most likely be appropriate to recommend different types of exercise to cancer patients, especially since exercise has shown many benefits for diagnosed patients, whether during or following treatment.
