Various medical societies, including the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), point out that there is a connection between the development of type 2 diabetes and the development of various cancers. According to epidemiological studies and other publications, the risk of breast, colon, bladder and pancreas cancer increases 1.2 to 1.7-fold when suffering from „diabetes“. This also applies to other types of cancer, such as kidney, thyroid and esophageal cancer. Experts therefore strongly recommend people at risk of developing diabetes to change their lifestyle, i.e. to eat a healthy diet and include 30 minutes of exercise in their daily routine. The World Health Organization (WHO) also warns, because research has shown that in 1980 108 million people worldwide were affected by diabetes, compared to 422 million in 2014. 500,000 people in this country are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every year, and the trend is rising. Male diabetics, with an increase of 19 percent compared to the general population, have a lower risk than women with 27 percent. Colon cancer, especially at a young age, is also associated with diabetes, scientists from the DKFZ and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg found out. The frightening thing is that many people do not even know that they could be suffering from diabetes, because diabetes is often preceded by a metabolic derailment called metabolic syndrome. This is because the risk of cancer increases even before the actual diagnosis has been made. Four characteristics determine the metabolic syndrome: obesity, i.e. being overweight with a BMI greater than 30 and a lot of abdominal fat, misregulated blood fats, elevated blood pressure and blood sugar levels often with insulin resistance, whereby the effect of insulin is reduced. Abdominal fat is particularly dangerous in the metabolic syndrome, because the fatty tissue releases messenger substances. These in turn trigger inflammatory reactions and reduce the effect of insulin. Some of these messenger substances act similar to growth factors and stimulate cells to divide. This then also promotes tumor growth, because cancer cells also divide more quickly. Furthermore, fat cells produce estrogens, which has a negative effect on the development of breast cancer, for example. Other secondary diseases can also be associated with the „deadly quartet“: Arteriosclerosis, stroke and heart attack. In order to eliminate the health consequences of the metabolic syndrome, a complete change of lifestyle with weight loss is worthwhile, even if it is difficult for many affected persons. It can be life-prolonging.
