In a study (presented at the May 2010 American Gastroenterology Association annual meeting) investigators have found that women over the age of 55 who have type-2 diabetes (or “non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus”, NIDDM) have double the risk of developing cancers of colon & rectum that are associated with specific DNA abnormalities that occur in pre-cancerous cells. The authors discovered this linkage between diabetes risk and colorectal cancers when they analyzed the data from a large study (Iowa Women’s Health Study), of over 37,000 women who were enrolled between the ages of 55-69.
One of the anti-cancer principles of integrative oncology is that tumors require sugar (in the form of glucose) to grow. Diets that produce high-levels of blood sugar (i.e. from processed foods and simple sugars & carbohydrates) lead to an increase in the release of insulin and an associated hormone called, “insulin-like growth factor-1″ (also called, “IGF-1″.) IGF-1 has been associated with increased growth of tumors. Furthermore, high-sugar diets lead to weight gain in the form of increased body fat. Individuals with higher body fat compositions have an increased risk of cancer development, recurrence and progression. Body fat increases the amount of cancer-stimulating hormones (i.e. estrogen), decreases the strength of the immune system, increases inflammation in the body and increases the level of free-radical (‘oxidation’) damage throughout the body.
Integrative oncologists will spend a great deal of time with our patients discussing the importance of maintaining or attaining a healthy body fat composition. The “body mass index” (or “BMI”) is one measure that helps us guide our patients in better understanding what their ideal body weight should be based on their height. Type-2 diabetes most often develops in individuals who are overweight.
This study is important as it brings up many important issues that are relevant to integrative oncology. The findings may not only be related to women over the age of 55 with diabetes, but may be more general (i.e. anyone with type-2 diabetes or who are overweight may be at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.)
