Diabetes and cancer: Epidemiological and biological links

Table 2 Biological links between diabetes and cancer

Characteristic of diabetes	Consequences which promote cancer
High blood sugar level	DNA damage
	ROS production
	Chronic inflammation
	Promote cancer cell proliferation
	Promote cancer cell growth
	Promote cancer cell metastasis
	Provide alternative energy source for cancer cell survival
High blood insulin level (as in T2DM)	Increase level of IGF-1
	Promote cancer cell proliferation
	Promote cancer cell differentiation
	Promote cancer cell survival
	Promote cancer cell migration
	Promote cancer cell growth
	Promote cancer cell metastasis
Inflammation	Promote cancer cell proliferation
	Accelerate cancer cell growth
	Accelerate cancer cell metastasis
	Promote EMT
	Promote cancer cell survival
	Inhibit certain immune responses

ROS: Reactive oxygen species; T2DM: Type 2 diabetes mellitus; IGF-1: Insulin-like growth factor-1; EMT: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.