Is "insulin resistance" in cancer patients likely to affect life expectancy? Experts shake their heads: The consequences are "very bad"
Does it not only affect diabetics? The risk of developing cancer “insulin resistance” increases sharply
“Insulin resistance” may not only be the culprit of chronic diseases and metabolic syndrome, but may also be a warning sign for cancer patients? Some previous theories believed that “metabolic dysfunction” is common in cancer patients and is related to higher cancer recurrence rates and lower survival rates. Research now published in Acta Oncologica suggests that patients with either cancer or type 2 diabetes may have impaired insulin response.
A research team from the School of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, under the guidance of the “Preferred Projects for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) statement, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 3 literature databases; 15 studies were included. Meet the research team’s criteria. After determining the research direction, the team included cancer patients over the age of 18 and measured their insulin sensitivity using the “hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp method”.
After data analysis, the research results showed that the average insulin-stimulated glucose processing rate (Rd) of the control group subjects without cancer was 7.5 mg/kg/min; the average rate of insulin-stimulated glucose processing (Rd) of the experimental group subjects with cancer was 4.7 mg. /kg/min, the average difference in rate was -2.61 mg/kg/min, showing that the cancer patients in the experimental group did have insulin resistance.
Cells in patients with cancer do not respond well to insulin Experts: Clinical symptoms are difficult to identify
Lykke Sylow, the lead author of the study, said that previous studies have confirmed that there may be a link between cancer and insulin, but in this study, this link is even more obvious. “Cells in cancer patients generally do not respond well to insulin. Therefore, cancer patients need to secrete more insulin to achieve the effect of regulating blood sugar, which makes insulin resistance more likely to occur.”
Sylow emphasized that whether you are a cancer patient or a patient with type 2 diabetes, your body’s ability to respond to insulin may be impaired. Symptoms of diabetic patients (such as fatigue, thirst, increased urination) are not obvious, but they will still appear gradually; while cancer patients may experience more severe symptoms than fatigue and thirst, which makes insulin resistance in cancer patients clinically important. difficult to identify.
Is insulin resistance endangering the lives of cancer patients? Experts reveal 3 effects: they may cause the spread of cancer cells
“Our team knows from cell studies, animal studies, and human studies that insulin is a “growth hormone” that has the same effect on cancer cells. In other words, high levels of insulin may cause cancer cells to multiply and spread. . In addition, metabolic dysfunction may increase cancer recurrence and reduce survival rates of cancer patients.”
Joan Marmol, also the lead author, added that insulin resistance affects the accumulation of protein in muscles. If the body cannot respond to insulin, it will lose muscle mass and strength, which is undoubtedly an urgent need for many cancer patients. Solved puzzle. What is certain is that cancer patients affected by insulin resistance have a shorter life expectancy than other cancer patients.
“All in all, cancer and insulin resistance are a ‘very bad combination.’” Lykke Sylow said that public health units or medical institutions must also start testing patients’ blood sugar levels in cancer care. Insulin resistance is often difficult to detect, and even if blood sugar values are normal, there may still be a potential risk of insulin resistance. If a cancer patient is found to have insulin resistance, they should receive treatment immediately.
Source: Insulin resistance in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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