The Triple Health Threat of Diabetes, Obesity, and Cancer—Epidemiology, Disparities, Mechanisms, and Interventions

Abstract

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are both chronic, relapsing, progressive diseases that are recognized as risk factors for the development of multiple types of cancer. In a recent symposium titled “Hitting A Triple—Diabetes, Obesity, and the Emerging Links to Cancer Risk,” convened by The Obesity Society during ObesityWeek 2019, experts in the field presented the current science and highlighted existing research gaps. Topics included (1) the epidemiology of obesity and diabetes and their links to cancer risk; (2) racial and ethnic differences in obesity, diabetes, and cancer risk; (3) biological mechanisms common to obesity and diabetes that may increase cancer risk; and (4) innovative interventions that can be used to prevent the development of cancers related to obesity and diabetes. This report provides an overview of the symposium and describes key research gaps and pressing questions in need of answers to advance the field. The collective burden of obesity, diabetes, and cancer represents one of the largest public health challenges of the century. Although the symposium was titled “hitting a triple,” it was recognized that being able to disrupt the linkages among obesity, diabetes, and cancer would be a “grand slam” for public health and medicine.

Association of Obesity and Diabetes With the Incidence of Breast Cancer in Louisiana

“…There are known shortcomings of using BMI as an indicator of obesity in cancer research, with several reviews highlighting the inability of BMI to accurately characterize body composition across races. 42,68,69 The Carolina Breast Cancer Study found that waist-hip ratio was associated with breast cancer incidence in both White and Black women, whereas there was no risk associated with BMI. 70 Unfortunately, other measures of body composition are often not as readily available as BMI, especially in EHR-derived data.…”

Effects of Fasting and Feeding on Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Regulation of Insulin-Degrading Enzyme in Mice

“…The global epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are major public health concerns [ 1 ]. These overnutrition-related chronic diseases are associated with changes in diet and physical activity.…”

Cancer and diabetes co-occurrence: A national study with 44 million person-years of follow-up

“…The substantially higher rate of uterine cancer amongst those with diabetes is a reminder of the importance of addressing obesity (i.e. a shared risk factor) in reducing the occurrence of both Type-2 diabetes and obesity-related cancer, including uterine, breast and steatohepatitic liver cancer [ 43 , 44 ]. It must be noted that the current study is not able to disentangle whether the increased risk of some cancers among those with diabetes is a direct consequence of their diabetes, or their diabetes is a direct consequence of their cancer, or due to some other reason.…”