Recent research has revealed a link between newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and a higher risk of developing certain cancers.
The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025), suggest that newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of several obesity-related cancers, including colorectal, pancreatic, and liver cancer.
Researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank, matching about 23,000 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes to roughly 71,000 control participants without a history of diabetes. The study, which controlled for body mass index (BMI), age, and gender, followed participants for an average of five years.
During the observation period, researchers focused on the occurrence of obesity-related cancers, including colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, gallbladder, kidney, liver, meningioma, multiple myeloma, ovarian, pancreatic, postmenopausal breast, stomach, and thyroid cancers.
While numerous studies have established a causal link between obesity and at least 13 types of cancer, the relationship between type 2 diabetes and cancer incidence remains less clear.
The challenge lies in distinguishing whether type 2 diabetes itself or the obesity that often accompanies it is responsible for the increased cancer risk, as the two conditions frequently coexist and are suspected to be linked to similar cancer types.
Noting a rising trend in cancer-related mortality among type 2 diabetes patients, the research team sought to determine whether the disease itself causes cancer or if the increased risk is due to associated obesity.
The analysis revealed that newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes increases the risk of obesity-related cancers by 48% in men and 24% in women.
Significantly, even in diabetes patients with a healthy BMI, the risk of cancer may increase due to type 2 diabetes independently of obesity. Specifically, the study found that the risk of colorectal cancer increased by 27% in men and 34% in women, while liver cancer risk rose nearly fourfold in men and fivefold in women. The risk of pancreatic cancer increased by 74% in men and almost doubled in women.
Researchers, therefore, anticipated that by performing cancer screening tests on patients with type 2 diabetes, early cancer detection would be achievable.
Experts note that beyond obesity-related mechanisms, factors such as hyperinsulinemia, inflammation, and alterations in the microbiome may contribute to the development of certain cancers in diabetic patients.
To more precisely understand the causes of so-called obesity-related cancers, they recommended that obese patients be categorized based on whether or not they have type 2 diabetes. Inflammatory markers, biomarkers, and the microbiome should be monitored.
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