Can cancer cause blood glucose levels to go up?

Icantri

So I always get bloodwork done each year like a good girl and this year's blood glucose test was due around the time of my diagnosis. So roughly a month after my surgery I got that routine bw done and my blood glucose came in at 100, the new level for prediabetes. It went up almost 10 points in one year! And, the kicker is that 5 months prior to that I had quit sugar and lost 20 pounds. I am at normal weight now.Just seems like an odd time for it to go up so much.

Thoughts?

sheila888

steroids can cause glucose levels to rise.

Icantri

thanks. I should add that I was not on any new meds when I was tested . Just Effexor that I have been on for years. I have since started Tamoxifen

lintrollerderby

There is research ongoing into whether the Insulin Receptor (IR) should be a target in breast cancer treatment. Now, whether that means that this would have an impact on circulating glucose levels, I'm not sure. I do think it's worth mentioning that stress does have an impact on glucose production and can lead to higher levels on a blood test.

FredFights

Hi - I've found that my blood glucose seems to be a mess, and I'm roughly three months out from the chemo and steroids. In talking to others around me, they are experiencing similar issues.

As my father is a Type II diabetic, I've borrowed one of his glucometers and have been monitoring my blood sugar on a regular basis. I'm guessing that this can be one of the long-term effects from all of the treatments.

MTwoman

Icantri, yes, there is most certainly a relationship between blood glucose and cancer. Actually there have been published studies where "the data support a model in which metformin treatment of cancer cells in low glucose medium leads to cell death by decreasing ATP production and inhibition of survival signaling pathways. The enhanced cytotoxicity of metformin against cancer cells was observed both in vitro and in vivo."

Here are some other studies released in the last few years.

http://journal.waocp.org/article_30489_7baf21eb511...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC48222...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC48871...

Icantri

I am aware of the higher risk of breast cancer that goes with higher blood glucose levels. What I am asking about is the reverse: Can having cancer cause blood sugar levels to rise?

I did not have any treatments other than surgery so for me it isn't the treatment of cancer that could be the cause of higher blood glucose test.

Can it be that cancer as a condition can monkey with blood sugar? I have read that stress and illness can, but is there any evidence of cancer does?

MTwoman

Icantri,

one of the articles that I linked for you reported " the cancer cells expressed reproducible and reliable increases in glucose levels compared to the nonmalignant cells." I'd take that for a yes, theoretically.

KBeee

Most charts for "norms" list fasting glucose. Most of our blood draws at routine appointments are not fasting glusose. 100 is not abnormal for a non-fasting glucose. That's not to say that our treatments meds and such do not influence it. I've noticed mine trending upwards as well.

Icantri

Thanks MTwoman! That must have been in the article I couldn't read. One of them wouldn't open and then it looked like some other topic so I honestly didn't read further.

My glucose test was fasting KBee, but I saw my general doc today who said she isn't worried and that the tests can be high due to a meal of pasta or other starchy food the night before. She ordered a 90day average test to confirm that it isn't fine

KBeee

Hlad they're keeping an eye on it