6% of cancers are attributable to diabetes and high BMI

Diabetes and high BMI (a BMI over 25 kg/m2) were the cause of 5.6% of new cancer cases worldwide in 2012 – equivalent to 792600 cases, according to the first study to quantify the proportion of cancers attributable to diabetes and high BMI. When considered individually, 544300 cases of cases were attributable to high BMI (equivalent to 3.9% of all cancers), and 280100 were attributable to diabetes (2%).