A study on the relationship between malignancy and diabetes

Today, malignancy and diabetes mellitus are important health problems with an increasing prevalence that have high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of overt diabetes mellitus (DM) in individuals with malignancy diagnosis, evaluate the effect of pre-diagnosis glucose control on the patients, DM duration and treatment options for malignancy development and type, and investigate the risk of DM development on non-diabetic patients with malignancy after cancer treatment.

A total of 469 patients between the ages of 26 and 70 with different malignancies were divided into 3 groups. Group I: Patients with overt DM that were diagnosed before the malignancy diagnosis or diagnosed during the malignancy diagnosis (n = 97); Group II: Patients that developed DM during the malignancy (anticancer) treatment (n = 17), Group III: Non-diabetic patients with malignancy diagnosis (n = 355).

Group I participants were found to have the highest mean BMI value (33.2 ± 6.7 kg/m²) and lowest weekly physical activity duration (p < 0.05). While 28.8 % of the patients with overt DM before diagnosis were found not to be followed up for DM, 18.8 % were not using antidiabetic medication. A total of 29.4% of the patients who developed DM during the malignancy treatment were found to have pancreas surgery and 17.5 % had corticosteroid treatment.

Appropriate screening programs should be developed for diabetic patients, taking into account the common risk factors of cancer and DM. Also, oncological treatments in patients with malignancy may lead to the development of DM. Therefore, the effects of decided anticancer treatment on glucose metabolism should not be overlooked and glucose metabolism in the patient must be monitored regularly.