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

Scientists from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University in Taiwan have found an above-average risk of certain cancers in women with a history of gestational diabetes or pregnancy-related diabetes. Their study was published in February 2019 in the British Medical Journal.

A total of 47,373 women with gestational diabetes and 943,199 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study and followed for three years. Women with a history of gestational diabetes had more than twice the risk of developing cancer than women without such a history. They were…

• more than twice as likely to develop kidney cancer,

• nearly 74% more likely to develop nose or throat cancer

• more than 37 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer,

• nearly 39% more likely to develop thyroid cancer, and

• more than 23 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

The researchers concluded that 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 begins during pregnancy, especially in women over 25. Being overweight is a risk factor. Therefore, women planning to conceive need to normalize their weight. and during pregnancy, mothers only need to gain the recommended amount of weight. It is also important to get enough physical activity and rest.

The signs and symptoms of kidney cancer are…

• blood in urine,

• unilateral low back pain,

• lump in the lower back or on the side,

• fatigue,

• loss of appetite,

• lose weight without trying, and/or a

• fever with no known cause that does not go away.

The signs and symptoms of nose cancer include…

• nasal mucus,

• pain around the eyes,

• a stuffy side of your nose,

• post-nasal secretions,

• frequent nosebleeds,

• pus from the nose,

• a weak or absent sense of smell, and/or

• numbness or pain in the face

Signs and symptoms of throat cancer include…

• a cough that won’t 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 includes…

• a persistent cough,

• bloody or rust-colored sputum,

• chest pain that gets worse with breathing,

• hoarseness,

• shortness of breath,

• fatigue,

• loss of appetite, and/or

• lose weight without trying.

The signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer are…

• a lump in the neck can develop quickly,

• ain in front of the neck can reach the ears,

• hoarseness or other changes in the voice,

• difficulty swallowing, and/or

• breathing problems.