Diabetes may raise cancer risk more than we realise

People living with type 2 diabetes may face a higher risk of developing cancer, and that gap appears to have widened over the past 25 years, according to a large Danish study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting.

Researchers analysed national health records covering the entire adult population of Denmark from 1996 to 2022. In the most recent period, cancer incidence was 12% higher in men and 22% higher in women with type 2 diabetes than in people without diabetes.

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Much of the difference was linked to cancers associated with obesity. These included colorectal cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer. The study also found higher rates of lung cancer among people with diabetes in recent years.

Importantly, the findings do not prove that diabetes itself causes cancer. Factors such as excess weight, smoking, alcohol use and physical inactivity may also play a part.

The message for patients is practical: diabetes care should not focus only on blood sugar, heart and kidney health. Cancer prevention, healthy weight, avoiding smoking and taking part in recommended screening may deserve equal attention.