A simple blood test could one day be used to help identify people with type 2 diabetes who are at risk of developing certain cancers, a study has suggested.
Pinpointing patients at a higher risk would allow for targeted monitoring and early detection of cancer, researchers said.
Type 2 diabetics face a higher risk of obesity-related cancers such as breast, kidney, uterus, ovarian and thyroid, as well as gastrointestinal cancers and multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Danish researchers suggest this may be down to chronic low-grade inflammation, which is common in obese people and in those with type 2 diabetes.
To explore this further, the team analysed levels of immune system proteins known as proinflammatory cytokines in 6,466 people involved in the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Diabetes (DD2), an ongoing study of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Levels of small proteins known as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured at the start of the study, as well as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a protein made by the liver which increases with inflammation in the body.
Patients were grouped into three categories based on these levels – low, middle and high – and followed for a median of 8.8 years, during which 327 developed obesity-related cancer.
The study found IL-6 levels were associated with higher obesity-related cancer risk.
Mathilde Dahlin Bennetsen, of the Steno Diabetes Centre Odense in Denmark, said: “Understanding which individuals are at higher risk for these cancers would allow for more targeted and effective monitoring and early detection, potentially improving outcomes through earlier intervention and personalised treatment.
“In future, a simple blood test could identify those at higher risk of the cancers – however, further research is needed to determine if testing would improve early detection and management of these cancers.”
She added that the findings, which will be presented at the European Association of the Study of Diabetes in Madrid next month, highlight the importance of regular check-ups for diabetes patients.
“Understanding that higher levels of inflammation can indicate a greater risk of certain cancers highlights the importance of regular check-ups and effective diabetes management,” Ms Bennetsen said.
“Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and adhering to treatment plans can potentially help manage inflammation and reduce cancer risk.”
Dr Lucy Chambers, head of research communications at Diabetes UK, said: “Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition – caused by a mix of factors, including age, body weight and genetics – which increases the risk of a range of life-limiting health complications, including certain types of cancer.
“With cancer now the leading cause of death among people with diabetes, developing simple and effective ways to help doctors identify those at high risk earlier, and intervene sooner, could save countless lives.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here