A new study on a 15-year registry based follow up study of site specific cancer mortality among immigrants with type 2 diabetes in Sweden has been published in Nature – Communications Medicine by researchers Daniel N. Tollosa, Sol P. Juarez, Alessandra Grotta & Mikael Rostila.
Cancer is a leading cause of death among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and immigrants in Europe face a higher risk of T2D than native populations. The researchers investigated disparities in overall and eight specific T2D related cancer mortality among immigrants and native Swedes diagnosed with T2D between 2006 and 2021. An open cohort of 478,607 individuals aged 35 years or older at the time of T2D diagnosis, including 28 percent first generation and 6 percent second generation immigrants, was followed until December 31, 2023. Flexible parametric survival models were used to estimate hazard ratios, stratified by age at arrival and duration of residence for first generation immigrants.
First generation immigrants, except those from Nordic countries, generally had lower overall cancer mortality than natives. However, mortality risks for specific cancers converged toward those of natives with longer residence in Sweden. Notably, liver and endometrial cancer mortality were higher among those who arrived early in life compared with natives.
Among second generation immigrants, kidney and endometrial cancer mortality rates were elevated, particularly for those with Western and Nordic parental origins, respectively. Mortality rates from colorectal and liver cancers also appeared to increase among individuals more recently diagnosed with T2D.
These findings underscore the need to strengthen integrated diabetes and cancer care, as well as to provide tailored support services for high risk immigrant populations.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae388