Research
Hormonal
Hyperinsulinemia in type 2 diabetes increases cancer risk by upregulating IR-A and IGF1R receptors on cancer cells, promoting growth through PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways.
Type 2 diabetes is linked to higher cancer risk, partly because high insulin levels can stimulate cancer cell growth. Managing blood sugar and insulin resistance is crucial for cancer prevention in diabetic patients.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The hyperinsulinemia resulting from the body’s attempt to compensate insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes may benefit fully insulin-sensitive cancer tissue by substantially increasing their growth through IR-A/IGF1R increased signaling.
Why this rating
Based on a review of multiple studies, including population-based studies and experimental data, though some controversy exists regarding the magnitude of effect.
Source
Insulin resistance and cancer: the role of insulin and IGFs
Séfirin Djiogue et al. · Endocrine Related Cancer · 2012
DOI 10.1530/erc-12-0324
narrative_reviewCited 261×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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