Cancer Survivors at Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Study Finds

Researchers have found that cancer survivors are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, often as a result of obesity and insulin resistance. While it is unclear whether diabetes susceptibility is due to shared risk factors for cancer and insulin resistance or directly related to cancer and its treatment, a study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center has shed light on the relationship between cancer, body mass index (BMI), and insulin sensitivity in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Key Takeaways:

• Cancer survivors are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, with the risk often developing from obesity and insulin resistance.
• A study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigated the relationship between cancer, BMI, and insulin sensitivity in patients with hematologic malignancies and controls without cancer.
• The study found that patients with cancer exhibited greater insulin sensitivity, with a median insulin sensitivity index (ISI) of 42.4 mg/kg/min/[mu U/mL] compared to controls, who had a median ISI of 23.4 mg/kg/min/[mu U/mL].
• The study also found that the effect modification between cancer and BMI on insulin sensitivity implicated cancer-specific etiologies in glucose dysregulation and could partially explain excess diabetes diagnoses among oncology patients.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in Blood Advances, with additional information available from Brian G. Engelhardt, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
• The study's authors include Melis Sahinoz, James M. Luther, Dae Kwang Jung, T. Alp Ikizler, and Mona Mashayekhi.

Statistics:

• The study involved 43 individuals without diabetes, including 20 patients with treated hematologic malignancies and 23 controls without malignancies.
• The median insulin sensitivity index (ISI) in patients with cancer was 42.4 mg/kg/min/[mu U/mL], whereas the median ISI in controls was 23.4 mg/kg/min/[mu U/mL].
• The study found that patients with cancer exhibited greater insulin sensitivity, with a P value of <0.001.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Reports from Vanderbilt University Medical Center Provide New Insights into Obesity and Diabetes (Hematologic Malignancies Magnify the Effect of Body Mass Index On Insulin Resistance In Cancer Survivors). Obesity & Diabetes Week. February 6, 2023; p 85.
• Hematologic Malignancies Magnify the Effect of Body Mass Index On Insulin Resistance In Cancer Survivors. Blood Advances, 2022;6(7):1981-1990.
• Elsevier. Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.