Danielle Novetsky Friedman on Abdominal Radiation and Diabetes Risk

Danielle Novetsky Friedman, a general pediatrician in the Pediatric Long-Term Follow-Up Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), discusses a study investigating the mechanisms leading to abnormal glucose and insulin dynamics in survivors of childhood cancers.

Previous studies have linked radiation to the pancreas during childhood to an increased risk of type 1 or 2 diabetes, but the mechanisms remain unclear.

In order to bridge the gap in literature, Friedman designed a pilot study to examine insulin and glucose levels in childhood cancer survivors and also to clarify whether there is an autoimmune process that is underlying in the development of diabetes in this population.

In the study, patients who had been previously treated with abdominal radiation at MSK underwent a two-hour glucose tolerance test after an overnight fast. Hemoglobin A1c and autoantibodies associated with type 1 diabetes were assessed. Individuals’ height, weight and waist circumference were also measured.

Friedman says preliminary findings signal that something is happening to the insulin and glucose levels in these young survivors who are otherwise healthy and nonobese.

Read more about this study:http://nursing.onclive.com/conference-coverage/css-2016/abdominal-radiation-may-increase-diabetes-risk-in-childhood-cancer-survivors