Study finds heightened cancer death risk in patients with type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to die from some cancers compared to the general population, according to a new study.

Patients with the condition have an increased risk of dying from from pancreatic, bowel or liver cancers, researchers found.

Women with type 2 also face a higher risk of dying from endometrial cancer.

Overall, people with the condition have an 18% increased risk of dying from cancer, according to the new study which has been published in the journal Diabetologia.

Researchers from the University of Leicester said that cancer risk should be given a similar level of attention as other complications of type 2 diabetes, such as the increased risk of heart disease.

The study, funded by charity Hope Against Cancer, found that women with type 2 diabetes had a 9% increased risk of dying from breast cancer and risk appeared to be increasing.