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# High blood sugar linked to high death risk in breast cancer patients
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/blood_sugar_breast_cancer_death_risk_1001121221/
- Published: 2012-10-01T13:20:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:18:13.000Z
- Description: Among 265 patients with advanced breast cancer on palliative chemotherapy, those whose mean glucose ran 130 mg/dL or higher during treatment faced a higher risk of death, diabetic or not. The authors advise clinicians to monitor glucose levels during treatment.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Disease, Health News, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Monday Oct 1, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- A new study in Experimental Diabetes Research suggests that having a high level of serum glucose or a condition called hyperglycemia increases risk of death in advanced breast cancer patients.

The study led by Villarreal-Garza C at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan) in México, DF, Mexico and colleagues showed that breast cancer patients who had higher serum glucose levels during treatment were more likely to die from all causes than those who had lower levels of blood sugar.

Researchers analysed data from 265 patients with advanced breast cancer who were believed to have no hope of having a long term survival and thus given palliative chemotherapy. 

The overall survival was the same in both diabetic group and nondiabetic group of breast cancer patients. However, the overall survival was different between the non-diabetic breast cancer patients and those breast cancer patients who had diabetes and also had high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. Diabetic patients with lower blood sugar had a better overall survival than diabetics breast cancer patients who had higher levels of glucose.

The risk of death was found higher in patients with mean glucose levels of 130 mg/dL or higher during treatment. 

Other risk factors that were associated with poor overall survival included "tumor stage, hormone-receptor-negative tumors, HER2 negative disease, multiple metastatic sites, presence of visceral metastases, and mean glucose >130 mg/dL," according to the study report. 

The researchers concluded "Elevated glucose levels are associated with a poor outcome in diabetic and nondiabetic patients in contrast to patients with normoglycemic levels, conferring an elevated risk of death."

They recommended that " Clinicians should monitor glucose levels during treatment for advanced breast cancer disease and take action to maintain normal glucose levels."

Many remedies such as high doses of vitamin D and vitamin C supplements may help fight breast cancer. Breast cancer patients should never give up. But they need to do a greal deal of home work to understand how they and their doctors may help them.