Study explores link between diabetic complications and colorectal cancer

Compared to individuals without diabetes, those with uncomplicated diabetes faced a slightly elevated but generally insignificant risk of all-cause and cancer-specific death. In contrast, individuals with complicated diabetes had a significantly higher risk, with 85% greater odds of death from any cause and 41% higher odds of death from cancer. These associations were particularly noticeable in women and in patients with early-stage colorectal cancer.

Moreover, colorectal cancer recurrence risk was also influenced by diabetes. Patients with uncomplicated or complicated diabetes had a 10–11% higher risk of colorectal cancer recurrence compared to those without diabetes. The study suggests that the severity of diabetes may play a crucial role in colorectal cancer outcomes.

Reference: “Diabetic severity and oncological outcomes of colorectal cancer following curative resection: A population‐based cohort study in Taiwan.” Hsin‐Yin Hsu, Yih‐Jong Chern, Min‐Shu Hsu, Tzu‐Lin Yeh, Ming‐Chieh Tsai, Jing‐Rong Jhuang, Lee‐Ching Hwang, Chun-Ju Chiang, Wen-Chung Lee, and Kuo-Liong Chien. CANCER; Published Online: October 23, 2023 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34975).