Diabetes Unexpectedly Linked to Risk of Developing Dangerous Cancer 0 6

People with type 1 diabetes may have a significantly higher risk of developing bladder cancer. This conclusion was reached by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, who analyzed data from tens of thousands of patients and, for the first time, separated the impact of diabetes from the influence of smoking—the main risk factor for this type of cancer. The work was published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (DRCP).

Bladder cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases, with the causes of about half of the cases remaining unclear. For a long time, it was believed that type 1 diabetes was not associated with its development. Early studies did not take into account the smoking levels of participants, and it turned out that people with type 1 diabetes actually smoke less—distorting the calculations.

After adjusting the data for actual smoking levels, researchers found that people with type 1 diabetes have a 4.29 times higher risk of encountering bladder cancer. According to the authors, this may be explained by the biological changes caused by the disease, which are exacerbated by smoking.

Experts emphasize that the exact mechanism is still unknown and further research is needed. However, the findings are already important for clinical practice: strict control of blood sugar levels and quitting smoking may be particularly critical for patients with type 1 diabetes in the context of reducing cancer risks.