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Hyperglycemia Linked to Cancer Risk

Posted: Friday, May 11, 2007

High fasting glucose was associated with risk for pancreatic, endometrium and urinary tract cancers.

A recent study has linked abnormal glucose metabolism to an increased risk of cancer in women.
Pär Stattin, MD, PhD, and colleagues from Umea University Hospital in Sweden found a significant association of hyperglycemia with overall cancer risk in women and an increase in risk for cancer at many sites in both men and women.

“We found a modest increase in the risk of all cancers combined in women with abnormal glucose tolerance. For women with still higher glucose levels, the risk was even higher.”

Researchers from Umea University Hospital identified 2,478 incident cases of cancer in 33,293 women and 31,304 men in the Vasterbotten Intervention Project. Fasting and plasma glucose concentrations were available for these cases.

The researchers calculated relative risk of cancer for levels of fasting and post-load glucose using Poisson models, with adjustment for age, year of recruitment, fasting time and smoking status.

“Total cancer risk increased in women with rising plasma levels of fasting and post-load glucose, up to a RR for the top vs. bottom quartile of 1.26 (95% CI, 1.09-1.47) and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.12-1.52),” the researchers wrote in Diabetes Care.
When they corrected for random error in glucose measurements, the risk increased to 1.75 (95% CI, 1.32-2.36) and 1.63 (95% CI, 1.26-2.18). For men, the corresponding uncorrected RR was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.92-1.27) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.83-1.16).

High fasting glucose was significantly associated with the risks of pancreatic (RR 2.49; 95% CI, 1.23-5.45), endometrium (RR 1.86; 95% CI 1.09-3.31) and urinary tract cancers (RR 1.69; 95% CI, 0.95-3.16), as well as malignant melanoma (RR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.14-4.35).

When the researchers adjusted for BMI, it did not affect any risk estimates. Hyperglycemia proportions were highest among obese patients. According to the researchers, the absolute number of people with hyperglycemia was larger in women and men who were overweight or normal weight.

“We speculate that the lack of association among men is explained by the inverse association between prostate cancer incidence and high blood glucose. Excluding prostate cancer, we saw a mild increase (17%) in risk for men,” Stattin said.
The association of hyperglycemia and total cancer risk provides further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer, the researchers wrote in Diabetes Care.

“Not only obese patients, but also overweight and normal weight people, should eat more fibers, less saturated fat and refined carbohydrates and engage in more physical activity, in order to decrease their risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer,” Stattin said.

The researchers also recommended a lifestyle that decreases plasma glucose levels, in hopes that it might reduce overall cancer risk and prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease among overweight, obese and normal weight patients.

Source: Diabetes In Control: Stattin P, Bjor O, Ferrari P, et al. Prospective study of hyperglycemia and cancer risk. Diabetes Care. 2007;30:561-567.