Incident Early- and Later-Onset Type 2 Diabetes and Risk of Early- and Later-Onset Cancer: Prospective Cohort Study
Authors' conclusion
Incident early-onset type 2 diabetes was associated with increased risk of early-onset total cancer and diabetes- and obesity-related cancer, especially in those with higher BMI at 18 years of age. The impact of early-onset type 2 diabetes on cancer risk may be inherently stronger than that of later-onset type 2 diabetes.
Study context
- Population
- Participants in the Nurses' Health Studies, followed for up to 38 years
- Participants
- 228,073 participants
- Exposure
- Incident early-onset or later-onset T2D vs no T2D
- Outcome
- Early-onset (diagnosed before 50 years of age) and later-onset cancer
- Follow-up
- Up to 38 years
Methodological detailsCox models, fully adjusted analyses
- Cox models
- Fully adjusted analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Early-onset cancer with early-onset T2D
Early-onset T2DHazard ratio (95% CI)
Early-onset total cancer
1.47(1.06–2.04)
Early-onset diabetes-related cancer
2.11(1.38–3.23)
Early-onset obesity-related cancer
1.75(1.08–2.82)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Early-onset cancer with early-onset T2D, BMI at 18 years ≥21 kg/m²
| HR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Early-onset T2DTotal cancer | 1.75 (1.20–2.56) | |
| Early-onset T2DDiabetes-related cancer | 2.43 (1.50–3.94) | |
| Early-onset T2DObesity-related cancer | 1.84 (1.05–3.22) | |
| 0.20.5125Hazard ratio (log scale) |
Later-onset cancer with later-onset T2D
| HR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Later-onset T2DLater-onset total cancer | 1.15 (1.11–1.20) | |
| Later-onset T2DDiabetes-related cancer | 1.17 (1.12–1.22) | |
| Later-onset T2DObesity-related cancer | 1.18 (1.13–1.24) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
- Early-onset cancer with early-onset T2D, BMI at 18 years ≥21 kg/m²: risk elevations restricted to BMI at 18 years ≥21 kg/m²
Later-onset cancer with early-onset T2D
- Higher risk of later-onset diabetes-related and obesity-related cancer only among those with higher BMI at 18 years
Refined timing analyses
- Hazard ratios (HRs) attenuated substantially with aging
Cases documented during follow-up
- T2D cases
- 18,290
- Early-onset cancer cases
- 6,520
- Later-onset cancer cases
- 36,907
Original publication
Incident Early- and Later-Onset Type 2 Diabetes and Risk of Early- and Later-Onset Cancer: Prospective Cohort Study. Diabetes Care. Published 18 November 2022. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →