Latest study reveals the hidden mechanism between cancer and diabetes

Back within the Twenties, researchers discovered that cancer patients had sweet-smelling urine. First, the doctors were puzzled, but they soon realized that it was a results of elevated blood sugar levels.

This was one in every of the primary things we learned about cancer patients.”

Lykke Sylow, Associate Professor

The sweet-smelling urine suggested that cancer affects the body’s blood sugar level. But how? A brand new study is able to answer that query. Where previous studies have examined the connection between cancer and insulin, Lykke Sylow and colleagues’ latest study is the primary to compile the perfect research on the subject, and the reply appears to be clear:

“In cancer patients, the cells don’t respond well to the hormone insulin. It subsequently takes more insulin to create the identical effect in cancer patients. In case you suffer from insulin resistance, your body has to supply more insulin than usual to give you the chance to control the blood sugar,” says Lykke Sylow, who’s one in every of the principal authors of the brand new study.

And the body’s ability to reply to insulin is impaired in each cancer patients and individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes similar to fatigue and increased thirst and urination develop regularly and may subsequently be hard to identify. And in cancer patients, insulin resistance may be even harder to discover as they already experience a few of these symptoms, e.g. fatigue.

Insulin could cause cancer cells to multiply

Apart from the negative consequences of insulin resistance, the condition can even cause cancer cells to multiply.

“We all know from cell studies, animal studies and a few human studies that insulin is a growth hormone, and that it has the identical effect on cancer cells. That’s, a high level of insulin could make cancer cells grow faster,” says the second principal creator of the study, Joan Màrmol, and adds:

“After all, this is usually a huge problem for cancer patients.”

Moreover, insulin resistance can influence the build-up of proteins within the muscles. That’s, if the body fails to reply to insulin, it’s going to lose muscle mass and strength, and that may be a huge problem for loads of cancer patients.

All in all, cancer and insulin resistance is a extremely bad combination.

Lykke Sylow hopes oncologists will begin to examine patients’ blood sugar level – even when it appears to be normal, because insulin resistance may be hard to identify because the body will simply compensate by producing more insulin.

“And in the event that they do find that the patient suffers from insulin resistance, they need to begin treating it. We’re in a position to treat insulin resistance because now we have in-depth knowledge of the condition – we are only used to associating it with type 2 diabetes.”

Facets of the connection require more research, though.

“The subsequent step is trying to find out who develops insulin resistance. Which cancer patients are in danger here? Have they got a specific form of cancer or specific risk aspects? Or is it perhaps connected with the treatment?” Lykke Sylow says and adds:

“And once now we have identified those at high risk of developing the condition, I hope to see more long-term studies of insulin resistance treatment and whether it has a positive effect on the patients.”