Current perspectives between metabolic syndrome and cancer

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies linked metabolic syndrome and several types of cancer. Although metabolic syndrome may not necessarily cause cancer, it is linked to poorer cancer outcomes including increased risk of recurrence and overall mortality. This review tends to discuss the major biological and physiological alterations involved in the increase of incidence and mortality of cancer patients affected by metabolic syndrome. We focus on metabolic syndrome-associated visceral adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) pathway as well as estrogen signaling and inflammation. Several of these factors are also involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. A better understanding of the link between metabolic syndrome and cancer may provide new insight about oncogenesis. Moreover, prevention of metabolic syndrome – related alterations may be an important aspect in the management of cancer patients during simultaneous palliative care.

Pancreatic cancer biology and genetics from an evolutionary perspective

“…Type II diabetes, another well-known association with pancreatic cancer, is also thought to increase risk through hyperinsulinaemia and/or the hyperglycaemia caused by the dysregulation of blood glucose levels 30 . Hyperglycaemia may increase cancer risk by supporting the survival and expansion of KRAS mutant clones that have differential dependence on glucose metabolism 31 . Finally, genome-wide association studies have identified various susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer predicted to modify the net rates of cell growth (telomerase reverse transcriptase ( TERT ), nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 ( NR5A2 ), zinc and ring finger 3 ( ZNRF3 ) and TP63 (Refs 32–34)) or efficiency of DNA repair (structural maintenance of chromosomes 2 ( SMC2 )) 34 .…”

Preoperative metabolic syndrome and prognosis after radical resection for colorectal cancer: The Fujian prospective investigation of cancer (FIESTA) study

“…The metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions that can identify high‐risk individuals for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus . In recent decade, growing evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome plays a carcinogenic role in cancer at some sites, including CRC . However, the precise mechanisms underlying the relationship between metabolic abnormalities and colorectal carcinogenesis are not fully understood, although several explanations have been proposed .…”

Clinical update on metabolic syndrome

“…More importantly, they found a positive and independent association between MS and breast cancer incidence (2.49). Another review 35 determined that several factors characteristic of MS such as visceral adiposity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, IGF-I, estrogen signaling and inflammation could be also…”