Insights into the relationships between diabetes, prediabetes, and cancer

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus and cancer are two growing health problems. They have in common many modifiable risk factors including sex, age, obesity, physical activity, diet, alcohol, and smoking, and have a long latency before overtly manifesting. Patients with diabetes experience a roughly 20-25% higher cancer incidence compared to individuals without diabetes, and it depends on cancer site. Moreover, patients with diabetes who further develop cancer have increased early and late mortality in comparison with cancer patients without diabetes. Prediabetes and metabolic syndrome are also related to an increased risk of developing and die from cancer. Possible mechanisms linking diabetes and prediabetes with cancer include hyperglycemia (endogenous or exogenous), hyperinsulinemia, and alterations of insulin-like growth factor system, chronic subclinical inflammation, abnormalities in sex hormone metabolism, and adipokines. It becomes crucial to define the right orientation of the associations between diabetes and cancer in order to identify the modifiable pathogenic mechanisms. The common soil hypothesis claims that prediabetes and diabetes, as well as metabolic syndrome, may be considered a surrogate sign for dietary risk factors of cancer. The clepsydra of foods may help choose foods associated with healthy benefit while avoiding foods associated with harm, including cancer.

Enhancement of cellular glucose uptake by reactive species: a promising approach for diabetes therapy

“…This study is not solely important for diabetes, but might also be essential in cancer treatment, as recent investigations indicate that diabetic patients have 20-25% more risk of developing cancer compared to individuals without diabetes. 33,34…”

Pre‐existing type 2 diabetes is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with renal cell carcinoma

“…Moreover, T2D also increases the risk of kidney cancer . Type 2 diabetes has negative effects on the prognosis of certain tumors, such as breast, liver, endometrial, and colorectal tumors, in which a significant reduction in cancer‐specific survival (CSS) was observed in patients with T2D . Therefore, researchers have questioned whether T2D may exert adverse effects on the prognosis of RCC.…”

“…15 Type 2 diabetes has negative effects on the prognosis of certain tumors, such as breast, liver, endometrial, and colorectal tumors, in which a significant reduction in cancer-specific survival (CSS) was observed in patients with T2D. 16,17 Therefore, researchers have questioned whether T2D may exert adverse effects on the prognosis of RCC. Although a few studies have investigated the effects of T2D on the prognosis of RCC, the results have been controversial.…”

The Perfect Storm: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic Meets Overfat Pandemic

“…Excess body fat, however, can impair immunity, with obese individuals having a higher incidence of immune and autoimmune diseases (28). Excess body fat can contribute to cardiovascular and metabolic health impairment including various risk factors such as abnormal blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides, and blood pressure, which progress to a variety of diseases including type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, cancers, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases (34)(35)(36).…”