Introduction

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may face a significantly increased risk of developing liver and pancreatic cancers, with alarming figures showing that women are particularly vulnerable.

Study Findings

The analysis, which examined health records from over 95,000 individuals, found that women who were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had nearly double the risk of pancreatic cancer and a staggering fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing liver cancer. Men are not exempt from these risks either, with the study linking new-onset type 2 diabetes to a 74% higher risk of pancreatic cancer and nearly quadrupling the chance of liver cancer within five years of diagnosis.

Additionally, the risk of bowel cancer was also found to be elevated among those with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, increasing by 34% in women and 27% in men compared to their diabetes-free counterparts.

Expert Opinions

Owen Tipping, a medical student involved in the research, stated, “Our findings indicate a crucial relationship between diabetes and specific cancer types, independent of obesity factors.” This research builds on previous findings that have connected obesity to 13 different cancer types—many of which are also prevalent in individuals with diabetes. However, it has historically been difficult for researchers to discern whether diabetes itself contributes directly to this elevated cancer risk.

Methodology

For this study, scientists utilized the extensive database of the UK Biobank, which contains medical and lifestyle data for around half a million individuals. They specifically analyzed the records of 23,750 participants newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and compared them to over 70,000 matched controls without diabetes. Importantly, researchers accounted for an initial spike in cancer diagnosis typically seen after a diabetes diagnosis by excluding incidents reported within the first year.

Cancer Risks