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Diabetes Mellitus and Colorectal Cancer Risk

  • Prevention and Early Detection (R Benamouzig, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, after lung/bronchus, breast, or prostate cancer. The association between diabetes and cancer has been reported in many cohorts, with an association described in both colon cancer and rectal cancer, in both genders. Duration could be a determinant factor of the risk. The relationship between diabetes and colorectal cancer could be directly due to hyperglycemia or indirectly via hyperinsulinemia or elevated levels of IGF-1, even more as both diseases share common risk factors such as obesity. Antidiabetic treatments should be taken in account; treatment by metformin could decrease colorectal cancer risk whereas sulfonylureas or insulin seem to be associated with an increased risk. However, epidemiological studies include different biases. Indeed, implication of insulin therapy itself is uncertain. Some authors suggest that colorectal cancer screening should be proposed earlier in all patients with type 2 diabetes without current recommendations.

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Aggela Kallergi, Claire Chambre, Boris Duchemann, Marinos Fysekidis, and Hélène Bihan declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Hélène Bihan.

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Kallergi, A., Chambre, C., Duchemann, B. et al. Diabetes Mellitus and Colorectal Cancer Risk. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 11, 209–216 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-015-0274-5

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