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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT)
Published on: January 7, 2018
Glucose tolerance status and 20 year cancer incidence
Rachel Dankner1, Angela Chetrit, Pesach Segal
1Unit for Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. racheld@gertner.health.gov.il
Background:
Type 2 diabetes, an extreme state of glucose intolerance, has been found to be associated with cancer mortality; less is known about impaired glucose tolerance and cancer incidence.
Objectives:
To examine the association between fasting and post-load plasma glucose and insulin, and the 20 year incidence of cancer.
Methods:
We followed a sample of the Jewish Israeli population (n = 2780), free of cancer at baseline, from 1977-1980 to 1999 for cancer incidence and mortality. Baseline fasting and 1 and 2 hour post-load plasma glucose levels were recorded, as was insulin, in 1797 of them.
Results:
During 20 years, 329 individuals (11.8%) developed cancer. Cancer incidence for all sites differed between men and women (13.0% and 10.7%, P = 0.03), and among different glucose tolerance status groups (P = 0.01). Cancer incidence hazard ratio, by glucose status adjusted for gender, age, ethnicity, smoking and body mass index, was 1.24 (95% CI 0.96-1.62, P = 0.10) for impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, and 1.32 (95% CI 0.96-1.81, P = 0.09) for type 2 diabetes mellitus, compared with those who were normoglycemic at baseline. Fasting insulin and cancer incidence were not associated.
Conclusions:
An increased long-term cancer risk for individuals with impaired fasting glucose or glucose tolerance, or diabetes, is suggested. Even this modest association could have substantial public health consequences.
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