Scientists from National Taiwan University (NTU) have found that colorectal cancer (tumor of the colon and rectum) is less responsive to treatment in patients with diabetic complications. The research was published in the journal CANCER.
The authors analyzed data collected from the Taiwan Cancer Research Center from 2007 to 2015. The analysis included information on 59,000 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer who underwent surgery to remove tumors. Cancer recurred in 9.5 thousand patients, and 21 thousand patients did not survive.
The risk of all-cause mortality was not significantly higher in patients with uncomplicated diabetes. But people with complicated type 2 diabetes were 85% more likely to die from any cause and 41% more likely to die from cancer. Complications of diabetes range from vision impairment and nerve damage to kidney dysfunction and heart disease. These associations were more pronounced in women and patients with early colorectal cancer.
The results may be explained by high levels of insulin and glucose in the blood, as well as increased systemic inflammation characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Scientists believe that coordinated care involving multiple specialists can help prevent diabetes complications and also increase the chances of cure.
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