New research suggests that diabetes may predispose to prostate and bladder cancer

New results from a large case-cohort study conducted in a health check-up population in Taiwan suggest that diabetes may also be a risk factor for prostate and bladder cancer, but not for kidney cancer. The study was conducted in 54,751 men aged 40 to 80 years who had completed a comprehensive health check-up during a 10-year follow-up period. Early-stage diabetes, but not established diabetes, increased the risk of mortality for any type of cancer. Site-specific analysis showed age-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for mortality from prostate cancer of 2.27 (95%CI, 1.08-4.7), 2.70 (95%CI, 0.92-7.92) and 0.51 (95%CI, 0.07-3.93), and for bladder cancer of 0.95 (95%CI, 0.36-2.50), 2.23 (95%CI, 0.61-8.17) and 1.22 (95%CI, 0.27-5.61) for prediabetes, new onset and chronic diabetes, respectively, while the corresponding risk of death from kidney cancer was 0.64 (95%CI, 0.28-1.48) and 0.93 (95%CI, 0.21-4.05) in men with prediabetes and new onset diabetes (Chung, H. et al. Urology [30th Congr Soc Int Urol (Nov 1-5, Shanghai) 2009] 2009, 74(Suppl. 4A): Abst POD-11.08).