What’s the one thing that kills cancer survivors more than anything else?
Diabetes.
That’s right—diabetes. And if you’re a cancer survivor (or ever become one), new research shows that the importance of taking steps to keep yourself from getting diabetes can hardly be overstated.
THE DANGER IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
Many studies had previously shown that having diabetes increases the risk of getting cancer, but there had been scant information going in the other direction, that cancer may increase the risk for diabetes…until now. Researchers in South Korea recently completed a 10-year study that involved about a half million people, men and women, ages 20 to 70, all free of both diabetes and cancer at the start of the research. Here’s what they found over the course of their work…
- Of the 15,130 people diagnosed with cancer, 834, or 5.5%, went on to develop type 2 diabetes.
- Those who got cancer had about a 35% higher risk of developing diabetes than those who didn’t get cancer, even after accounting for other diabetes risk factors such as older age, physical inactivity, smoking and obesity.
- The risk of developing diabetes was highest in the first two years after a cancer diagnosis, but elevated risk continued through the end of the study.
- The cancer associated with the highest risk of developing diabetes was pancreatic cancer—understandable, since the pancreas makes insulin—followed by kidney, liver, gallbladder, lung, blood, breast, stomach and thyroid cancer. The researchers suspect that these cancers may increase risk for diabetes directly because of changes cancer causes in the body…medications used to treat it, such as chemotherapy and/or steroids…and/or the psychological and physical stress of having cancer.
And it’s important to know that the risk of developing diabetes after cancer could be even higher for people who have other diabetes risk factors such as being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol or not getting enough exercise.
Studies that uncover danger such as this seem like bad news, but they can be good news if they inspire you to make changes that help you avoid the danger. And the especially good news here is that there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk for diabetes after cancer. The National Institutes of Health recommends making sure that you get regular blood tests to screen for diabetes (work with your doctor on how often that should be for you). And don’t wait to put an effective lifestyle plan in place to prevent diabetes. Depending on your unique situation, this could involve improving your diet and starting a fitness program. For ideas, check out “Preventing Type 2 Diabetes” and “Prevent Diabetes with Your Mind” right away.
