Diabetes and Cancer

By Quinn Phillips Two weeks ago, actress Angelina Jolie announced that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy, a choice she made after finding out she carries a rare gene that raises a woman's risk of developing breast cancer to about 65%. This revelation sparked a flurry of media coverage, which touched on everything from the cost of genetic testing to cultural factors that may influence whether a woman chooses to undergo a mastectomy. Suddenly, it seemed, breast cancer was on everyone's mind. So it seemed like an opportune time for Diabetes Flashpoints to discuss the link between diabetes and breast cancer, as well as other types of cancer. If hearing about that link comes as a surprise, you're not alone; many people with diabetes are never told about the connection between diabetes and cancer. So just what is that connection? According to an analysis of 16 studies published in 2011 in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, women with diabetes are 23% more likely than other women to develop breast cancer, especially after menopause, and 44% more likely to die of it. For reasons that are not clear, women with diabetes in Europe are more likely than those in America or Asia to develop breast cancer, with a risk 88% higher than the general population versus 16% in America and 1% in Asia. Having diabetes also raises the risk of developing other cancers, but to varying degrees. According to an article published last year in Diabetes Forecast, people with diabe...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs