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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 3/2013

01-03-2013 | Original paper

Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for gastrointestinal cancers among postmenopausal women

Authors: Juhua Luo, Rowan Chlebowski, Simin Liu, Katherine A. McGlynn, Niyati Parekh, Donna L. White, Karen L. Margolis

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 3/2013

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Abstract

Objectives

While diabetes has been linked to several cancers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, findings have been mixed for sites other than colorectal and liver cancer. We used the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) data and conducted a comprehensive assessment of associations between diabetes and GI malignancy (esophagus, stomach, liver, biliary, pancreas, colon, and rectal).

Methods

A total of 145,765 postmenopausal women aged 50–79 enrolled in the WHI were followed for a mean 10.3 years. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between GI cancers and diagnosed diabetes, including its duration and treatment.

Results

Diabetes at enrollment was associated with increased risk of liver (HR = 2.97; 95 % CI, 1.66–5.32), pancreatic (HR = 1.62; 95 % CI, 1.15–2.30), colon (HR = 1.38; 95 % CI, 1.14–1.66), and rectal (HR = 1.87, 95 % CI: 1.22–2.85) cancer. Diabetes severity, assessed by duration or need for pharmacotherapy, appeared to have stronger links to risk of liver, pancreatic, and rectal cancer, but not colon cancer. There was no statistically significant association of diabetes with biliary, esophageal, and stomach cancers.

Conclusion

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancers of the liver, pancreas, colon, and rectum in postmenopausal women. The suggestion that diabetes severity further increases these cancer risks requires future studies.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for gastrointestinal cancers among postmenopausal women
Authors
Juhua Luo
Rowan Chlebowski
Simin Liu
Katherine A. McGlynn
Niyati Parekh
Donna L. White
Karen L. Margolis
Publication date
01-03-2013
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9996-8

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