Conference Coverage

A Simple Blood Test May Predict Cancer Risk in T2D


 

TOPLINE:

— Elevated interleukin (IL) 6 levels are associated with an increased risk for obesity-related cancers in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D), potentially enabling the identification of higher-risk individuals through a simple blood test.

METHODOLOGY:

  • T2D is associated with an increased risk for obesity-related cancers, including breast, renal, uterine, thyroid, ovarian, and gastrointestinal cancers, as well as multiple myeloma, possibly because of chronic low-grade inflammation.
  • Researchers explored whether the markers of inflammation IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) can serve as predictive biomarkers for obesity-related cancers in patients recently diagnosed with T2D.
  • They identified patients with recent-onset T2D and no prior history of cancer participating in the ongoing Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes cohort study.
  • At study initiation, plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured using Meso Scale Discovery assays, and serum levels of hsCRP were measured using immunofluorometric assays.

TAKEAWAY:

  • Among 6,466 eligible patients (40.5% women; median age, 60.9 years), 327 developed obesity-related cancers over a median follow-up of 8.8 years.
  • Each SD increase in log-transformed IL-6 levels increased the risk for obesity-related cancers by 19%.
  • The researchers did not find a strong association between TNF-alpha or hsCRP and obesity-related cancers.
  • The addition of baseline IL-6 levels to other well-known risk factors for obesity-related cancers improved the performance of a cancer prediction model from 0.685 to 0.693, translating to a small but important increase in the ability to predict whether an individual would develop one of these cancers.

IN PRACTICE:

“In future, a simple blood test could identify those at higher risk of the cancers,” said the study’s lead author in an accompanying press release.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Mathilde D. Bennetsen, Steno Diabetes Center Odense, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark, and published online on August 27 as an early release from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 Annual Meeting.

LIMITATIONS:

No limitations were discussed in this abstract. However, the reliance on registry data may have introduced potential biases related to data accuracy and completeness.

DISCLOSURES:

The Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes was supported by grants from the Danish Agency for Science and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Recommended Reading

Is Your Patient Too Old for a Colonoscopy?
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Support for Laser Treatment to Reduce NMSC Risk is Increasing
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Aspirin for CRC Prevention May Work Best in Adults With Unhealthy Lifestyles
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Cancer Cases, Deaths in Men Predicted to Surge by 2050
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Seated Doctors Better Satisfy Patients, Communication
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Diet Rich in Processed Foods Linked to Elevated Risk for Colorectal Cancer
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Do Clonal Hematopoiesis and Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations Increase Solid Tumor Risk?
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
False-Positive Mammography Results Linked to Reduced Rates of Future Screenings
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
Breast Cancer Hormone Therapy May Protect Against Dementia
MDedge Hematology and Oncology
High Breast Cancer Risk With Menopausal Hormone Therapy & Strong Family History
MDedge Hematology and Oncology