The findings from a study of ethnic Chinese
subjects residing in Singapore support what has been shown
in Western populations; diabetes is associated with an
increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Dr. Adeline Seow, from the National
University of Singapore, and colleagues evaluated the
link between diabetes and colorectal cancer in Singapore,
in part because the body type and lifestyle of residents
are different from people living in Western countries.
For instance, people from Eastern countries tend to be
leaner than their peers in Western countries.
The new study, which appear in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute, involved more than 60,000
subjects who provided detailed dietary, medical, and lifestyle
information and then were followed for several years to
assess the occurrence of colorectal cancer and related
risk factors.
A total of 636 cases of colorectal cancer occurred during
follow-up, the report indicates.
A subset of men and women with a history of diabetes
were 50 and 40 percent, respectively, more likely to develop
colorectal cancer than their peers without diabetes. On
further analysis, a significant association was still
noted among diabetic patients with high total calorie
intake and low physical activity levels.
"Our results support the hypothesis that (high insulin
levels) may play a role in the (development of colon cancer),
even in a relatively lean population," the investigators
conclude.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, January
18, 2006.
