Metabolic Syndrome as Forecast of Cancer

Evidences in literature are suggestive of strong influence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components on cancer incidence, development, and its mortality rate. MetS has been reported to have positive relationship with various cancer phenotypes such as colorectal, breast, endometrial, pancreas, primary liver, and prostate cancer. The various components of MetS associated with cancer include insulin resistance, insulin-like growth factor 1 system, adipokines, free fatty acids, aromatase activity, and estrogen; however, the individual or cumulative effect of MetS components on cancer is still debatable. Despite of evident association between MetS and cancer, the antidiabetic and antihypertensive medicines such as insulin, thiazolidinedione, angiotensin receptor blockers are usually prescribed. The chief concern in MetS and cancer relationship is to identify and take care of probable risk factors. Few of the recommended lifestyle modifications including weight loss and a healthy diet have resulted in decline of cancer risk in normal population. In addition to that metformin, an insulin-sensitizing agent, has been hypothesized to have anticancer effects in diabetic patients. Besides, evidences are manifesting estrogen signaling from growing recognition in not only breast cancer but other cancer types also. This chapters elaborates in general the connection between MetS and cancer particularizing in depth for few cancer subtypes from different prospectives to gain more insights to propose some preventive guidelines for parallel growing diabetic population and cancer incidence.