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New research reveals that cancer cells have a poor response to insulin, causing insulin resistance, which can cause cancer cells to grow faster and affect muscle mass, linking cancer and insulin resistance. The negative relationship with gender is emphasized. This study encourages oncologists to closely monitor blood sugar levels in cancer patients and calls for further research to explore effective treatments and identify at-risk groups.
Researchers have found that insulin resistance, usually associated with type 2 diabetes, is also present in cancer patients and can accelerate the spread of the disease.
In the 1920s, scientists discovered that the urine of cancer patients had a sweet smell. At first, doctors were perplexed, but they soon realized that elevated blood sugar levels were the culprit.
“This was one of the first things we learned about cancer patients,” says Associate Professor Lykke Sylow.
Sweet-smelling urine suggested that the cancer was affecting the body’s blood sugar levels. But how? A new study is ready to answer that question. Previous research has examined the relationship between cancer and cancer. insulinLykke Sylow et al.’s new study is the first to compile the best research on the subject, and the answer appears to be clear.
“Cancer patients’ cells don’t respond well to the hormone insulin. Therefore, more insulin is needed to have the same effect in cancer patients. If you suffer from insulin resistance, your blood sugar levels “To be able to regulate insulin, the body has to produce more insulin than normal,” says Rikke Schiro, one of the lead authors of the new study.
Also, in both cancer patients and people with type 2 diabetes, the body’s ability to respond to insulin is impaired.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes, such as fatigue, thirst, and increased urination, develop gradually and can be difficult to detect. Insulin resistance is also more difficult to identify in cancer patients because they already experience some of the symptoms, such as fatigue.
| About research
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 15 studies on insulin sensitivity and cancer. This included 187 patients with various types of cancer, including lung and colon cancer, and 154 control subjects. These included only studies that applied the so-called gold standard, a highly accurate method of analyzing insulin sensitivity in humans. |
Insulin can cause cancer cell growth
Apart from the negative effects of insulin resistance, this condition can also lead to the growth of cancer cells.
“We know from cell studies, animal studies, and some human studies that insulin is a growth hormone and has the same effect on cancer cells. Cells may grow faster,” said Joanne Marmol, second lead author of the study, adding:
“Of course, this can be a big problem for cancer patients.”
Additionally, insulin resistance can affect protein accumulation within muscles. This means that when the body is unable to respond to insulin, you lose muscle mass and strength, which is a big problem for many cancer patients.
Overall, cancer and insulin resistance are a very bad combination.
Lykke Sylow hopes oncologists will start testing patients’ blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance can be difficult to detect even when blood sugar levels appear normal because the body compensates by producing more insulin.
“And if we find that a patient has insulin resistance, we need to start treatment. We can only treat insulin resistance because we have a deep knowledge of the condition. It’s just because we have it and we’re used to associating it with type 2 diabetes.”
However, connectivity aspects require further research.
“The next step is to identify who is developing insulin resistance. Which cancer patients are at risk here? Do you have a factor? Or is it related to treatment?” Lykke Sylow adds:
“And once we can identify people who are at higher risk of developing this condition, we hope to see further long-term research into insulin resistance treatment and whether it has a positive effect on patients. ”
Reference: “Insulin resistance in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis” Joan M. Màrmol, Michala Carlsson, Steffen H. Raun, Mia K. Grand, Jonas Sørensen, Louise Lang Lehrskov, Erik A. Richter, Ole Written by Norgaard, April 12, 2023; acta oncologica.
DOI: 10.1080/0284186X.2023.2197124
