Type 2 Diabetes - Having Had Gestational Diabetes Raises Risk for Certain Cancers

Scientists at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University in Taiwan found a higher-than-average risk of particular cancers in women with a history of Gestational diabetes or pregnancy-related diabetes. Their study was published in February of 2019 in the British Medical Journal.

A total of 47,373 women with Gestational diabetes and 943,199 women with healthy pregnancies were admitted to the study and followed for three years. Women with a history of Gestational diabetes had more than twice the risk of developing cancer as women without such a history. They were...

• more than twice as likely to develop kidney cancer,
• almost 74 percent more likely to develop cancer of the nose or throat,
• over 37 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer,
• almost 39 percent more likely to develop thyroid gland cancer, and
• over 23 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

The researchers concluded women who had a history of Gestational diabetes should be screened for the cancers listed above.

Prevention of Gestational diabetes should begin before women conceive. Gestational diabetes starts during pregnancy, especially in women over age 25. Being overweight is a risk factor, therefore, women planning to conceive need to normalize their weight; and during pregnancy, mothers need to gain only the recommended amount of weight. Getting enough physical activity and rest is important too.

Signs and symptoms of kidney cancer are...

• blood in the urine,
• one-sided low back pain,
• lump in the lower back or side,
• tiredness,
• loss of appetite,
• losing weight without trying, and/or a
• fever without a known cause that does not go away.

Signs and symptoms of nose cancer include...

• nasal mucus,
• pain around the eyes,
• a blocked side of your nose,
• postnasal drip,
• frequent nosebleeds,
• pus from the nose,
• a poor or an absent sense of smell, and/or
• numbness or pain in the face

Throat cancer's signs and symptoms include...

• a cough that does not go away,
• hoarseness or speaking indistinctly,
• swallowing with difficulty,
• ear pain
• sore throat, and/or
• unexplained weight loss

The list of signs and symptoms of lung cancer include...

• a persistent cough,
• bloody or rust-colored sputum,
• chest pain that gets worse with breathing,
• hoarseness,
• shortness of breath,
• tiredness,
• loss of appetite, and/or
• weight loss without trying.

Signs and symptoms of thyroid gland cancer are...

• a lump in the neck may grow quickly,
• ain in front of the neck may reach up to the ears,
• hoarseness or other changes in the voice,
• difficulty swallowing, and/or
• breathing problems.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.