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Inequalities in cancer mortality trends in people with type 2 diabetes: 20 year population-based study in England – published online 24/01/2023

Graphical abstract

Suping Ling, Francesco Zaccardi, Eyad Issa, Melanie J Davies, Kamlesh Khunti, Karen Brown

Owing to improvements in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment in the past few decades, mortality rates in people with type 2 diabetes have declined substantially in some high-income countries. Given the increased incidence and mortality for some cancers associated with diabetes, it is unclear whether cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the key cause of death in this population and whether inequalities exist in cancer mortality trends. In this issue, Ling et al (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-022-05854-8) report that, in contrast to declining all-cause mortality rates in people with type 2 diabetes at all ages between 1998 and 2018, there were decreasing trends in all-cancer mortality rates at younger ages but increasing trends at older ages (75+). In addition, they show that there were persistent inequalities in cancer mortality rates by gender and socioeconomic status and widening disparities by smoking status. The authors conclude that these findings highlight that cancer deserves a similar level of attention as other diabetes-related complications, such as cardiovascular disease, and that public health policies are needed to address persistent and widening inequalities.

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