Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk for several types of cancer but not cervical cancer (CC). Although DM and insulin-like growth factor 1 have preclinical and clinical implications for CC, less is known about the prognostic impact of DM on patients with early stage CC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used the nationwide Taiwan Cancer Registry database to collect the characteristics of stage I-IIA cervical cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2008. DM and other comorbidities were retrieved from the National Health Insurance database. Cervical cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) times of patients according to DM status were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. We used a Cox proportional hazards model to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the effects of DM and other risk factors on mortality. RESULTS: A total of 2,946 patients had primary stage I-IIA CC and received curative treatments, and 284 (9.6%) had DM. The 5-year CSS and OS rates for patients with DM were significantly lower than those without DM (CSS: 85.4% vs. 91.5%; OS: 73.9% vs. 87.9%). After adjusting for clinicopathologic variables and comorbidities, DM remained an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for CSS (adjusted HR: 1.46) and OS (adjusted HR: 1.55). CONCLUSION: In Asian patients with early cervical cancer, DM is an independent unfavorable prognostic factor influencing both OS and CSS, even after curative treatments. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the incidence of several types of cancer but not cervical cancer (CC); however, less is known about the impact of DM on patients who already have CC. This study suggests that DM may increase the risk of cancer recurrence and death for early stage CC patients, even after curative treatments. Incorporating DM control should be considered part of the continuum of care for early stage CC patients, and close surveillance during routine follow-up in this population is recommended.