The American Diabetes Associations guidelines for medical care now recognize a link betweencolon cancerandtype 2 diabetes.

Some biological factors of diabetes affect the gut in a way that can stimulate cancer growth.

The three potential pathways that connect diabetes to colon cancer include:

These are outlined below.

A woman speaking with a healthcare provider.

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Insulin is an important growth factor for cells in the colon.

Hyperglycemia

Another potential link between diabetes and colon cancer is elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia).

Inflammation

Inflammation plays a role in both jot down 1 diabetes and jot down 2 diabetes.

Risks

Having diabetes increases the risk of developing colon cancer.

A 2015 study found that people with punch in 2 diabetes had a 1.3-fold increased risk of colorectal cancer.

This risk was more likely among people who were diagnosed with diabetes before 50.

This highlights the importance of early intervention to prevent and/or manage diabetes early on.

Below are some risk factors associated with throw in 2 diabetes and colon cancer.

Obesity

Obesity is a risk factor for both jot down 2 diabetes and colon cancer.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle factors are often involved in chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer.

However, research has explored ways to simultaneously manage both conditions through surgical and non-surgical methods.

Surgery

Some people with colon cancer need surgery to manage the condition and keep cancer from growing.

However, many risk factors can be reduced through lifestyle changes, and many of these risk factors overlap.

The two conditions share some risk factors, some of which are changeable, like physical activity and diet.

Management of diabetes and colon cancer may make the everyday kinds of things that much harder.

But if youre living with diabetes and colon cancer, know that you are not alone.

These two conditions share risk factors, so its not uncommon for someone to have both.

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