Cancer warning for type 2 diabetics: Condition linked with 22 per cent higher risk of deadly tumours, study finds

Type 2 diabetics are much more likely to develop a number of deadly cancers, including breast, bowel and lung, concerning research suggests. Women with the condition are 22 per cent more likely to develop cancer than those without, while men face a 12 per cent greater risk, according to data found by Danish scientists.The danger was most pronounced for obesity-related cancers, such as kidney, pancreatic and liver, which men with type 2 diabetes were 45 per cent more likely to develop, while women faced a 30 per cent higher risk.Bowel cancer was around 17 per cent more common among diabetes sufferers, while lung cancer rates were up to 25 per cent higher.Previous data shows that cancer is the leading cause of death among those with type 2 diabetes in Britain. The latest findings, presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, add to growing evidence linking obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer, as all three conditions become increasingly common.Research has shown cancer cases are now rising faster among younger adults than any other age group – with diagnoses of people aged between 25 and 50 increasing by a quarter in two decades.Some experts have linked this phenomenon to expanding waistlines, with obesity rates doubling over the same period. Similarly, diagnoses of type 2 diabetes have simultaneously jumped almost 70 per cent among young women in England over the last decade. Speaking of the latest findings, Dr Tinne Laurberg, a consultant pathologist at Steno Diabetes Center in Denmark and co-author of the study, said the figures showed the importance of 'prioritising cancer prevention' in type 2 diabetics. 'This is especially important for common obesity-related cancers, such as colorectal and post-menopausal breast cancer.' It is estimated that more than five million people in the UK are living with type 2 diabetes. The condition occurs when the body does not respond properly to insulin, or cannot produce enough of it, causing blood sugar levels to rise.Using nationwide health records covering virtually the entire adult population of Denmark, researchers tracked cancer diagnoses among people with and without type 2 diabetes, between 1996 and 2022.Over the 27-year period, 75,540 cancers were identified among participants with diabetes, and 635,323 among those without the condition. However, patterns differed significantly according to sex and cancer type. Women with type 2 diabetes faced an 8 per cent increased risk of breast cancer – the most common cancer affecting women. Meanwhile, bowel cancer was 17 per cent more likely in men with type 2 diabetes, who were also found to have a 19 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer than men without the condition. In contrast, lung cancer rates were around 25 per cent higher in women with type 2 diabetes between 2010 and 2022. This represents a striking reversal from 1996 to 2009, when women with the condition were 12 per cent less likely to develop the disease. The authors are now calling for greater awareness of cancer as a major long-term risk associated with type 2 diabetes. 'Cardiovascular and kidney disease prevention remains a key priority in diabetes care,' Dr Laurberg said. 'However, as outcomes for these complications improve, cancer may require greater attention.' The researchers stressed their findings show an association between type 2 diabetes and cancer, rather than proving diabetes directly causes the disease. The study was unable to account for several major cancer risk factors, including body weight, smoking status, alcohol consumption and physical activity, which may partly explain the differences observed. Experts say maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet are key to reducing the risks of both type two diabetes and cancer. Nine in ten cases of type 2 diabetes are linked to excess weight.Around four in ten cases could be prevented with lifestyle changes. Two-thirds of Britons are either overweight or obese, and almost one in four children aged 10-11 are obese. Being overweight is the second-biggest preventable cause of cancer after smoking, with the World Health Organisation linking obesity to at least 13 different types of the disease, including breast and bowel cancer. Cancers on the rise in young people BreastBowelThyroidOvaryWomb KidneyOralMultiple myeloma Pancreatic Liver Gallbladder Scientists believe excess body fat may help drive cancer by increasing levels of hormones and growth signals in the body, including insulin, which can encourage abnormal cells to grow and divide. But it is still unclear exactly how diabetes might drive cancer. Experts suspect high levels of insulin, blood sugar and chronic inflammation may all play a part in increasing the risk. The sex differences could also be explained by differences in hormones, which control how sensitive the body is to the effects of insulin. A full explanation as to why levels of cancer are increasing in young people specifically, however, remains elusive. But experts at The Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London believe the only data that aligns with the increase is levels of overweight and obesity, which have been on the rise since the 1990s. Researchers continue to investigate other possible factors, including ultra-processed foods, 'forever chemicals', changes and widespread antibiotic use.