Cancer incidence in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a population-based cohort study in Sweden

J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003 Dec 3;95(23):1797-800. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djg105.

Abstract

Although patients with type 2 diabetes have elevated risks of liver, pancreatic, kidney, and endometrial cancer, little is known about the risk of cancer for patients with type 1 diabetes. We conducted a cohort study to examine cancer incidence among 29 187 patients in Sweden who were hospitalized for type 1 diabetes from 1965 through 1999. Relative risks of cancer were estimated by age-, sex- and calendar year of follow-up--adjusted standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), using data for the entire Swedish population as a reference. After excluding cancers diagnosed during the first year after hospital discharge, we observed 355 incident cases of cancer, which corresponded to a 20% increase in overall cancer incidence among type 1 diabetes patients (SIR = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0 to 1.3). Patients with type 1 diabetes had elevated risks of cancers of the stomach (SIR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.1 to 4.1), cervix (SIR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1 to 2.2), and endometrium (SIR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.4 to 4.7). Type 1 diabetes is associated with a modest excess cancer risk overall and risks of specific cancers that differ from those associated with type 2 diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / complications*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / metabolism
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Male
  • Medical Record Linkage
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Registries
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sweden / epidemiology

Substances

  • Insulin