Wednesday June 18, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for death from clear cell renal cell carcinoma and all causes, a study published in Journal of Urology suggests.

The study of 1964 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccSCC) patients treated surgically for sporadic, unilateral, M0 clear cell renal cell carcinoma shows fiver-year overall survival (OS) was worse in patients who also had diabetes mellitus although patients with and without diabetes mellitus had a similar cancer-specific survival (CSS) during a median 8.7-year follow-up.

Patients with diabetes mellitus tended to be significantly older, more likely obese and smoking, and had higher Charlson scores, renal impairment and worse performance status at surgery.

After adjustment for confounders, diabetes mellitus was found to independently predict both cancer specific mortality and all-cause mortality. That is, those with diabetes mellitus were 55% more likely to die from renal cell carcinoma and 32% more likely to die from all causes, compared with cancer patients without diabetes mellitus.

The study concluded "DM (Diabetes mellitus) is independently associated with decreased CSS and OS among patients with surgically treated ccRCC."

Psutka SP, Stewart SB, Boorjian SA, Lohse CM, Tollefson MK, Cheville JC, Leibovich BC, Thompson RH.  Diabetes Mellitus is Independently Associated with an Increased Risk of Mortality Among Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients.  J Urol. 2014 Jun 12.