Insulin therapy

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at a significantly high risk for colorectal cancer.

A recent study published in the American Gastroenterological Association's journal Gastroenterology has revealed that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who require long-term insulin therapy are at a significantly high risk for colorectal cancer.

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The study shows that those diabetes patients, who received more than three years of insulin therapy, had three times the risk of developing colorectal cancer than those who did not receive insulin therapy.

"It is yet to be determined whether the increased risk of colorectal cancer is due to a growth promotional effect of exogenous insulin, the severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus, or both," Dr. Yu-Xiao Yang, lead study author, said.

"However, we are hopeful that the identification of this group of patients at a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal cancer will lead to more effective cancer prevention efforts, he added.

He has advised patients to not to discontinue insulin therapy as a result of this study, but to ask their doctors about the highly effective colorectal cancer screening methods currently available.

"At this point, we advocate for strict adherence to the existing colorectal cancer screening guidelines in this patient population, as these measures can effectively reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer," Yang added.