Diabetes Linked to Risk of Endometrial Cancer

NEW YORK MAR 12, 2008 (Reuters Health) - Type 2 diabetes is associated with endometrial cancer, regardless of the presence of most other risk factors, according to findings published in the March issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

"A positive association has been observed in nearly all studies of type 2 diabetes in relation to the incidence of endometrial cancer," Dr. Babette S. Saltzman, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, and colleagues write. "Given the adverse effect of obesity on the incidence of both diabetes and endometrial cancer, investigators have adjusted for obesity in a number of these studies," they note. "To varying degrees, all found that diabetes was independently associated with endometrial cancer."

The researchers examined whether the risk of endometrial cancer among type 2 diabetic women differs with respect to other endometrial cancer risk factors, using data from three population-based case-control studies conducted in western Washington State during 1985 to 1999. The studies included 1303 cases and 1779 controls.

An association was observed between type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer (odds ratio = 1.7). The association was stronger among women with a diabetes diagnosis within 5 years (OR = 2.6) than those with a more distant diagnosis (OR = 1.3).

Diabetes was associated with endometrial cancer among women with a body mass index (BMI) less than 35. Odds ratios among lean, overweight, and moderately obese women were 1.8, 2.5, and 1.6, respectively. No association was found between diabetes and endometrial cancer among women with a BMI of 35 or more. v"Among women with no history of hypertension, those with diabetes had virtually no elevation in risk compared with those without diabetes (OR = 1.1), whereas among women with hypertension, the corresponding odds ratio was 2.1," Dr. Saltzman"s team reports. "The risk of endometrial cancer associated with diabetes appeared not to vary greatly with respect to menopausal hormone use, cigarette smoking, age, race, education, or parity."

They conclude that type 2 diabetes is associated with endometrial cancer irrespective of the presence of other risk factors, "except possibly hypertension and extreme obesity."

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