Increased risk of Cancer

Increased Risk of Cancer

Did you Know:

• 2 out of every 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime.
• On average, 22 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer every hour.
• Diabetics have a much higher risk of getting Cancer.

Diabetes and Cancer are two of the leading causes of death in Canada.  Diabetes nearly doubles your risk of getting certain types of Cancer.  That is a very high rate making protecting the ones you love even more important. The biggest mistake you can make is waiting to get Life Insurance.  Complications from diabetes increase your premiums and limit your options. Let our professional team get you the Cancer Insurance coverage you need to protect the people who matter most.

Cancers relating to Diabetes and complications of Diabetes:

• Bladder
• Breast cancer in women (postmenopausal)
• Colo-rectal
• Endometrial (the lining of the uterus in women)
• Liver
• Pancreatic (thought to be a risk factor for diabetes)

The connection between Cancer and Diabetes:

Diabetes and cancer are closely related, with diabetes often the first diagnosis. Research on the link between diabetes and cancer has shown the risk of a person with type 2 diabetes developing cancer is twice as high as a person without diabetes.

Research also indicates that people with type 2 diabetes who develop cancer may experience a shorter life expectancy.   It is believed this results from their existing risk or presence of heart disease.  Many cancer treatments can also harm the heart and circulatory system.  Plus, being overweight increases the odds of cancer re-occurrence.  Overweight people also have lower levels of Adiponectin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue (fat), than lean people, which may further accelerate cancer growth.

With diabetes and cancer on the rise and already the second and seventh leading causes, respectively, of death in the United States, health experts are sounding the alarm. Experts now theorize that high insulin levels increase the growth of cancer cells, which in turn stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. The vessels then provide nourishment to cancerous tumors. To make things worse, one or more of the blood glucose-lowering medications you take may increase your risk of developing cancer.

Cause and Effect?

The Diabetes and Cancer connection varies among cancer types. Cancers of the liver, pancreas, and endometrium (uterus lining) are twice as likely to occur in people with diabetes as those without the disease.  The link between colon, rectal, breast, and bladder cancers and diabetes is only half as strong. Other cancers either aren’t associated with diabetes or there isn’t enough evidence to support a connection to diabetes.