YOU WONT BELIEVE IT!!! Type 1 diabetes 'could boost cancer risk'

Insulin-dependent, or type 1, diabetes may increase the risk of some cancers and reduce the chances of developing others, new research has shown.

The disease, marked by an inability to produce the hormone insulin, is associated with an increased risk of cancers of the stomach, liver, pancreas and womb, scientists found.

But it was also linked to reduced rates of some other cancers including two of the most common affecting women and men - breast and prostate.

Across all cancers combined, having type 1 diabetes had no impact on men but increased women's overall risk by seven per cent.

The study analysed more than 9000 cancer cases among patients with type 1 diabetes in five countries - Australia, Denmark, Finland, Scotland and Sweden.

Cancer incidence rates were compared with those for the general population.

The neutral finding for men with type 1 diabetes was largely due to a 44 per cent reduction of the risk of prostate cancer, the researchers say.

Writing in the journal Diabetologia, the authors led by statistician Bendix Carstensen, from the Steno Diabetes Centre in Denmark, concluded: "Our findings do not support changes in policy for cancer screening for persons with Type 1 diabetes.

"Recommendations for lifestyle approaches to reducing cancer risk such as avoiding smoking, weight management and physical activity apply to persons with type 1 diabetes as for the general population."

Previous research has suggested diabetics are 20 per cent to 25 per cent more likely to develop cancer than people without diabetes.

However, most of these studies involved people with type 2 diabetes, the much more common form of the disease which is associated with obesity and lifestyle.