title: Insulin therapy contributes to the increased risk of colorectal cancer in diabetes patients: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent epidemiological studies suggest that treatment with insulin may promote cancer growth. The present systematic review and meta-analysis of published observational studies was conducted to assess the risk of cancer during treatment with insulin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A compressive search was conducted through MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases (CBM). Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of four studies with one case-controls study and three cohort studies comparing the insulin therapy and colorectal cancer susceptibility were identified. When all four studies were analyzed, the summary RRs were 1.61 (95% CI = 1.18-1.35) in a random-effects model for individuals with insulin therapy, compared with individuals without insulin therapy, which suggests a statistically significant association between insulin use and colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provides the evidence that insulin therapy may contribute to the risk of colorectal cancer.
  The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/9339731010859509.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Zan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xinyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the First Hospital of China Medical University, NO,155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China. xiaojuanbai_sy@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin