Study Examines The Association Between Diabetes Mellitus And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 20 Jan 2006 - 21:00 PDT

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People with diabetes may have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to a new study.

Diets high in fat, energy, protein, red meat, and carbohydrates and low in fruit and vegetables are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Studies have suggested that this risk may be related to the insulin pathway, which regulates blood sugar levels, and is associated with diabetes mellitus.

Adeline Seow, M.D., of the National University of Singapore, and colleagues examined diet and cancer incidence in a lean population of 63,257 Singapore Chinese men and women between ages 45 and 74, with initial evaluation from April 1993 to December 1998. Researchers found 636 cases of colorectal cancer by December 2002. Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in men and women. The incidence of colorectal cancer among people with diabetes was 208.9 cases per 100,000 people and was 140.2 cases per 100,000 people among nondiabetics. Persons who reported having physician-diagnosed diabetes when recruited into the study had a 50% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer subsequently, compared with non-diabetics.

The authors write, "In summary, we observed that diabetes mellitus was a risk factor for colorectal cancer in Singapore Chinese and that this association was statistically significant among those with high intake of total calories and low levels of physical activity, both of which are independent predictors of high insulin levels. Our results provide support for an association between hyperinsulemia and colorectal cancer, even in a relatively lean population."

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published by Oxford University Press and is not affiliated with the National Cancer Institute. Attribution to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is requested in all news coverage. Visit the Journal online at http://jncicancerspectrum.oxfordjournals.org.

Ariel Whitworth
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
http://jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org