People with diabetes at greater risk of cancer, according to report

A study by medical experts involved in the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboratio, run by the University of Cambridge, have revealed that people suffering from type 2 diabetes in mid-life are at a greater risk of dying from cancer, with life expectancy being reduced by up to six years.
The research, involving the data of 820,900 patients over 10 years, showed that diabetics face an increased risk of death from several common cancers, infections, mental disorders, and liver, kidney, digestive and lung diseases. These results took into account other major risk factors such as age, gender, smoking and obesity . Previous studies have found evidence that having diabetes can approximately double the chance of having a heart attack or stroke .
John Danesh, lead researcher on the study, commented “These findings broaden and intensify the need for efforts to prevent and understand diabetes.”
He added “In particular, the findings highlight the need for more detailed study of whether treatments against diabetes may also be relevant to lowering the risk of a range of diseases, including common cancers.”
The scientists claimed that the results of their investigation emphasised the importance of preventing diabetes, a condition that is thought to affect over 2.5 million people in the UK and up to 285 million people around the world.