BACKGROUND Research shows that
type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects the risk and prognosis of
colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether the clinicopathological features of CRC patients correlate with their
blood glucose levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 391 CRC patients hospitalized in our center between 2008 and 2013. Data of their first fasting plasma
glucose (FPG) and 2-h postprandial
glucose (2hPPG) level after admission, their clinicopathological features, and survival were collected. The correlations between
blood glucose level and clinicopathological features were analyzed by Pearson chi-square analysis. Patient survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analysis. RESULTS There were 116 out of the 391 CRC patients who had high
blood glucose level (H-G group, 29.67%), among which 58 (14.83%), 18 (4.60%), and 40 (10.23%) were
diabetes mellitus (DM),
impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and impaired fasting
glucose (IFG), respectively, while 275 (70.33%) patients had normal
glucose level (N-G group). Compared with the N-G group, patients in the H-G group had larger
tumor diameters and lower
tumor differentiation (p<0.05). A higher ratio of patients in the H-G group also had more advanced TNM staging and more ulcerative CRC gross type (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed in patient overall survival among different
glucose groups. No effect of
insulin therapy on CRC development and patient survival was observed. CONCLUSIONS
Blood glucose level in CRC patients correlates significantly with local
tumor malignancy, but no significant effect on distant
metastasis and patient overall survival was observed.