High Serum Insulin Levels And Risk Of Prostate Cancer

Elevated insulin levels in the normal range appear to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study published online August 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Insulin-like growth factors appear to be involved in the development of prostate cancer, but the relationship between circulating insulin levels and prostate cancer risk has been unclear. Demetrius Albanes, M.D., of the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues investigated the relationship of the level of serum insulin and glucose, as well as surrogate indices of insulin resistance, to the development of prostate cancer. Rese...