Re: Can Insulins cause cancer? Lantus and Analogs
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Posted by elliott on 15:17:16 2006/02/01
In Reply to:
Re: Can Insulins cause cancer? Lantus and Analogs posted by Lisa
Insulin is a growth promoting hormone i.e. it increases cell division. It is theoretically possible that insulin in excess of physiological needs , as is always found in insulin treated diabetes, would promote excessive cell division, and increase cancer risk.
The relevant animal studies would be difficult if not impossible to carry out, as the required model would be an insulin requiring spontaneously diabetic animal that lives for many years ( at least 10)
That one insulin analogue was found to be carcinogenic is not surprising, given that very subtle changes in peptide molecules can enhance some activities of such molecules ( eg cancer promotion) without changing other functions ( eg lowering blood glucose)
The incidence of cancer in insulin treated diabetes has been studied with conflicting results. This is again not surprising as it may be a subtle effect found in only a minority of subjects who have some sort of predisposition.
Cancers may take decades to develop.
One recent study is a bit disturbing.
After only a 10 year cohort follow up of insulin treatment of diabetes
"----the JEVIN-trial demonstrate an increased incidence of malignancies of the colon and rectum in insulin-treated patients with diabetes mellitus".
Without wanting to scaremonger, such results need to be confirmed or otherwise in larger, longer, studies.
Insulin-like Growth factor -1 has been pulled from the general market after its cancer promoting effect was found.
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