Intensive glucose control and risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes

• Published in: Diabetologia 2011-07, Vol.54 (7), p.1608-1614
• Main Authors: Stefansdottir, G., Zoungas, S., Chalmers, J., Kengne, A. P., Knol, M. J., Leufkens, H. G. M., Patel, A., Woodward, M., Grobbee, D. E., De Bruin, M. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Cancer therapies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - mortality; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Disease; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Gliclazide - adverse effects; Gliclazide - therapeutic use; Glucose; Human Physiology; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin - adverse effects; Insulin - therapeutic use; Insulin resistance; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metformin - adverse effects; Metformin - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Mortality; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - etiology; Observational studies; Tumors; Urogenital system
• ISSN: 0012-186X; 1432-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s00125-011-2104-x

Aims/hypothesis Type 2 diabetes has been associated with an increased risk of cancer. This study examines the effect of more vs less intensive glucose control on the risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods All 11,140 participants from the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron-MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00145925) were studied. Cancer incidence and cancer mortality was compared in groups randomised to intensive or standard glucose control. Information on events during follow-up was obtained from serious adverse event reports and death certificates. HRs (95% CI) were calculated for all cancers, all solid cancers, cancer deaths and site-specific cancers. Results After a median follow-up of 5 years, 363 and 337 cancer events were reported in the intensive and standard control groups, respectively (incidence 1.39/100 person-years [PY] and 1.28/100 PY; HR 1.08 [95% CI 0.93–1.26]). The incidences of all solid cancers and cancer deaths were 1.25/100 PY and 0.15/100 PY in the intensive group and 1.15/100 PY and 0.13/100 PY in the standard group (HR 1.09 [95% CI 0.93–1.27] for solid cancers, and 1.17 [0.75–1.84] for cancer death). Across all the major organ systems studied, no significant differences in the cancer incidences were observed in the intensive and standard control groups. Conclusions/interpretations More intensive glucose control achieved with a regimen that included greater use of gliclazide, insulin, metformin and other agents, did not affect the risk of cancer events or death in patients with type 2 diabetes.