Diabetes and Cancer

Cancer is responsible for 13% of deaths in a year.

• Looking around the world, the incidence of cancer is more common in Northern European and North American countries. The incidence of cancer is lower in African countries with lower socioeconomic levels and not as fortunate as us in terms of nutrition. We can also say that these results are related to the average life expectancy.

According to the 2012 data of the World Health Organization;

• 14.1 million people are newly diagnosed with cancer.

• 8.2 million people die from cancer.

It is predicted that the number of people diagnosed with new cancer annually will approach 20 million in 2025.

Is there a relationship between diabetes and cancer?

Liver, Pancreatic, kidney, prostate and uterine cancers are associated with diabetes. For example, the probability of liver cancer in a diabetic patient is 2.5 times higher than in other people. Again, the probability of uterine cancer in a diabetic patient is 2.2 times higher than in other people.

Being diabetic is protective against prostate cancer. Since testosterone levels are low in diabetic men, the risk of prostate cancer decreases.

Being diabetic increases the incidence of bowel, breast, kidney and uterine cancers and causes changes in the course of cancer.

The first three substances that cause cancer;

Smoking 30%

Obesity 15%

Sedentary life is 10%

If we look at the prevalence of breast cancer in the world, we realize that it is more common in developed countries. There are four reasons for this:

First pregnancy at an older age

Decrease in fertility

Decrease in breastfeeding

Obesity, lifestyle

When we look at these results, we see that the common friends of diabetes and cancer are obesity.

Obesity-related cancers;

• Esophageal (esophageal cancer)

• Pancreas

• Colon

• Breast (post-menopausal)

• Kidney

• Endometrium

In diabetes Mechanisms of increase in cancer risk;

• Obesity

• Hyperinsulinemia, IGF-1

• Estrogen and androgen

• Free fatty acids

• Adipokines

• Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress

• NF-kB system

• Hyperglycemia

• AGE-ROS-Mitochondrial dysfunction

• Infections

• Drugs used

Reasons for the increase in cancer deaths in diabetes;

• Less screenings

• More advanced disease at diagnosis

• Increased tumor cell proliferation in the setting of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia

• Less aggressive treatments

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• Diabetes-related comorbidities in the presence of cancer

• Inadequate response to chemotherapy

• Diabetes medications Effect on cancer treatment

• Different tumor biology

Who should have cancer screening?

Screening individuals in the risk group makes sense. For example;

• A 50-year-old man should have blood tests for prostate.

• A woman should have a mammogram if she is in the standard risk group after menopause. .

• Individuals with a certain type of cancer in their family should have screenings for these cancers.

What is the nutrition for a cancer patient? should it be?

• Consuming processed red meat increases the risk of cancer.

• A diet rich in vegetables and whole grains reduces the risk of cancer. .

• High calorie and sugary foods should be avoided.

• Ideal weight should be maintained before, during and after cancer treatment.

In terms of diabetes;

The benefits of a diet rich in low-fat + low-calorie + fiber foods have been proven.

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