Abstract
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between type 2 diabetes and cancer. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Hyperinsulinemia may lead to cancer through insulin's effect on its cognate receptor and the insulin-like growth factor system. The effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I on cancer development and progression have been demonstrated in animal and human studies. Type 2 diabetes has been positively associated with cancers of the breast, colon, and pancreas. An inverse relationship has been observed between type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer, and this may be due to lower testosterone levels in men with type 2 diabetes. Medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may affect cancer cells directly or indirectly by affecting serum insulin levels. Hyperinsulinemia may be an important risk factor for cancer as well as a target for cancer therapy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 197-213 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2010 |
Keywords
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Hyperinsulinemia
- Insulin resistance
- Insulin-like growth factor