Diabetes mellitus type 2, also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, pertains to the metabolic disorder that is characterized by a high level of blood sugar and resistance to insulin, which is the pancreatic hormone responsible in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Type 2 diabetes is generally differentiated from type 1 diabetes based on the need for insulin administration to control blood sugar levels in the body.
In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the number of reports that describe the relationship of type 2 diabetes to other medical conditions. It has been suggested that the occurrence of high blood sugar levels may increase the risk of development of cardiovascular and urological diseases and thus physicians aggressively campaign for the proactive health management for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Advertisement
According to a recent medical report published in the journal BMC Public Health, the chances of cancer development may be higher among individuals with type 2 diabetes, thus prompting additional management schemes that may help in decreasing cancer risk. The report described the results of a study that involved screening diseases registries in a population in the Zhejiang province of China from 2002 to 2008. Two disease registries were reviewed, namely the Diabetic Surveillance Registry and the Cancer Registry of the city. The investigators conducted this study to determine whether the incidence of cancer and cancer risk was higher among individuals who were previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The Study on Cancer Risk Assessment
The results of the study showed that the incidence of cancer was indeed much higher among patients listed in the Cancer Registry. In addition, the report also showed that pancreatic cancer was the most common type of cancer that afflicted type 2 diabetes patients. Interestingly, the reported also showed that certain types of cancer are more common in particular genders. For example, cancer development in the liver and kidney were more common among male type 2 diabetes patients, whereas breast cancer and leukemia were observed to occur at a higher incidence among female type 2 diabetes patients.
This recent medical report serves as a large-scale investigation that attempted to establish the relationship between type 2 diabetes and cancer development and cancer risk. Reviewing the medical registries of the city may be the initial step to fully determine the extent of cancer risk in this specific population. Although previous studies have suggested the link between cancer development and type 2 diabetes, these earlier reports have not directly assessed its relationship using a significantly large population. According to the medical report, almost 8,000 type 2 diabetes patients were listed in the Diabetes Surveillance Registry and these individuals were checked against the Cancer Registry for a span of six years. The simple enlistment of a type 2 diabetes patients in the Cancer Registry was considered as direct information on cancer development and cancer risk.
Cancer development is triggered by the abnormal division of cells of a specific organ of the body that often results in the generation of a tumor. In other cases of cancer development, cells may migrate to other areas of the body, which may induce further proliferation. Cancer development has been associated with incurred mutations in cells that activate cellular activities that were initially quiescent. Physicians and scientists recognize that leading a healthy lifestyle, including consuming fruits and vegetables, may decrease cancer risk. Avoiding smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages may also prevent cancer development.
The recent medical report on the associated between type 2 diabetes and cancer risk may help physicians and patients in designing maintenance schemes that could prevent cancer development. The report directly showed that cancer risk may be higher among type 2 diabetes patients and thus it may be essential to adapt preventive measures against this disease. Cancer risk may also be decreased by regular exercise and getting sufficient hours of sleep. Health management for individuals with type 2 diabetes may be challenging enough and thus lowering one’s cancer risk may prevent further complications to one’s life.
