Cancer survivors have a risk of developing several health complications. But childhood cancer survivors have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is a condition that usually affects a person’s blood sugar levels. Researchers from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have found four new genetic variants that are linked to the risk of diabetes in these survivors. They found that these variants are more common in people of African descent.  Â
This research was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and used data from the St. Jude Lifetime cohort study, which tracks childhood cancer survivors. In this study, researchers involved 3,676 childhood cancer survivors and studied their genetic makeup carefully. Â
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that exposure to alkylating agents that are used in chemotherapy to kill cancer cells increases the risk of T2D in people of African ancestry. The risk of T2D was three times higher in these survivors than in their siblings. This risk was even higher for non-Hispanic Black survivors as compared to non-Hispanic white survivors.  Â
This difference in the risk rate clearly shows that these genetic variants affect T2D risk differently based on a person’s ancestry. Some gene variants increased the risk more in people of African descent than European descent.  Â
One of the researchers says that it was essential to understand these genetic variants as cancer survivors of different ancestries have different risks of getting T2D. This research clearly shows how these genetic variants increase the risk of T2D. Therefore, healthcare professionals should develop personalized treatment strategies to reduce this risk. This research will help healthcare professionals identify survivors at higher risk of T2D. In this study, researchers have taken a step towards better understanding and treating the long-term health problems these survivors usually face. Researchers think this research will be helpful and will guide future research.  Â
Reference link:Â Â
Cindy Im et al., Trans-Ancestral Genetic Risk Factors for Treatment-Related Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Survivors of Childhood Cancer, Journal of Clinical Oncology (2024). Â
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