Cancer patients who are also diabetic may be up to four times more likely to die prematurely than those with cancer only, new research shows.
Researchers, led by Kristina Ranc, analysed all those diagnosed with cancer in Denmark between 1995-2009, and grouped them according to whether they had diabetes, and what type of diabetic medication (if any) they were receiving.
Patients who had diabetes for at least two years and were treated with insulin had a four times greater mortality rate one year after cancer diagnosis. Five years on, patients had five times the risk.
Those who took oral anti-diabetic drugs had a lower risk, of around 10%, one year after a cancer diagnosis. This risk was similar for diabetics who were not taking any medication.
Read more at University of Copenhagen