According to recent research from Taiwan published in the journal Hepatology, diabetes can increase the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

“This study aimed to elucidate the relationship of type 2 diabetes, other known risk factors, and primary HCC in countries with a high prevalence of hepatitis infection,” wrote M.S. Lai and colleagues, National Taiwan University.

“We followed a prospective cohort of 54,979 subjects who participated in the Keelung Community-Based Integrated Screening program between 1999 and 2002. A total of 5,732 subjects with type 2 diabetes cases were identified at enrollment on the basis of fasting blood glucose level, and a total of 138 confirmed HCC cases were identified either through twostage liver cancer screening or linkage with the National Cancer Registry.

“The independent effect of type 2 diabetes on the incidence of HCC and the interaction between type 2 diabetes and hepatitis infection or lipids profile were assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. After controlling for age, sex, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), smoking, and alcohol consumption, the association between type 2 diabetes and incidence of HCC (excluding 33 prevalent cases identified at enrollment) was modified by HCV status and cholesterol level,” the authors reported.

“The associations were only statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=2.08 [1-03-4.18]) for being HCV negative and for having hypercholesterolemia (adjusted HR=2.81 [1.20-6-55]). These statistically significant findings remained even excluding cases of diabetes newly diagnosed at enrollment,” the investigators wrote.

The researchers concluded, “In an area with a high prevalence of hepatitis virus infection, type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing HCC in those who are HCV negative or have a high level of total cholesterol.”

Lai and colleagues published their study in Hepatology (Type 2 diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma: A cohort study in high prevalence area of hepatitis virus infection.
Hepatology, 2006;43(6):1295-1302).

For additional information, contact T.H.H. Chen, National Taiwan University, Institute of Preventative Medicine, College of Public Health, Room 207, 19 Hsuchow Rd., Taipei, Taiwan.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal Hepatology is: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.