The impact of diabetes status on total and site-specific cancer risk in the elderly population: A nationwide cohort study

Abstract

AimsWe aimed to evaluate the association of prediabetes, diabetes, and diabetes duration with risk of total and site-specific cancer in the Korean population aged 65 years and above. MethodsThis study included 1,232,173 subjects aged ≥ 65 years who underwent a general health screening program. Diabetes status was categorized as normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, new-onset diabetes, diabetes duration of < 5 years, and diabetes duration of ≥ 5 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association of diabetes status with cancer risk. ResultsThe risk of total cancer increased as diabetes status worsened, as did the risks of liver, biliary, and pancreatic cancer. Risks of liver, biliary, and pancreatic cancer were significantly higher in subjects aged 65–74 years than in those aged ≥ 75 years. The relationship of diabetes status with overall cancer incidence was found to significantly interact with sex. Among subjects with diabetes, the risks of liver and lung cancer were significantly higher in men than in women regardless of diabetes duration. ConclusionsDiabetes status is associated with increased risk of cancer in the elderly. There are age and sex differences in the risk of total and site-specific cancers, including liver, biliary, and pancreatic cancer. This study highlights the importance of cancer screening for elderly subjects with diabetes.