NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a study involving nearly 65,000 subjects indicate there is an association between cancer and hyperglycemia, Swedish researchers report in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

Dr. Par Stattin of Umea University Medical Center and colleagues note that type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of liver, pancreas, colon cancer, as well as other cancers. However, less is known about the effect on cancer risk associated with moderately elevated glucose levels among non-diabetic subjects.

To investigate further, the researchers examined data from 31,304 men and 33,293 women who participated in a larger study and had glucose measurements available. In total 2,478 incident cases of cancer were identified in this group.

In women, the total cancer risk increased with rising plasma glucose levels. For those with the highest compared to the lowest fasting levels, the relative risk was 1.26. For postload glucose, the relative risk was 1.31.

Adjustment for errors in measurement increased the relative risks in women to 1.75 and 1.63, respectively.

Overall, there was no significant association between total cancer risk and glucose measurements in men.

However, for men and women, high fasting glucose was significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas, endometrium, urinary tract and malignant melanoma.

These associations were independent of body mass index, which the investigators write, "showed only a very modest correlation with glucose levels."

The findings provide "further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer."

These results "have obvious implications for lifestyle guidance, as it is well known what factors cause blood glucose increases," Dr. Stattin added in comments to Reuters Health. By avoiding excessive fat and other dietary risk factors, and by getting regular exercise, "you can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes -- and cancer," he concluded.