Optimal glycemic target level for colon cancer patients with diabetes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in mortality among colon cancer patients with or without diabetes and to determine optimal glycemic target level for colon cancer patients with diabetes.A total of 741 patients with colon cancer between April 1999 and December 2010 were reviewed. The non-diabetes group had a fasting plasma glucose126mg/dL, and the diabetes group had a fasting plasma glucose ⩾126mg/dL. Patients with diabetes were further divided based on glycemic control into either the uncontrolled subgroup (HbA1c ⩾8%) or the well-controlled subgroup (HbA1c8%).Patients with diabetes had significantly shorter overall survival and median survival than non-diabetes patients. Uncontrolled diabetes patients had significantly shorter overall survival and median survival than well-controlled diabetes patients. The relative risk of mortality for diabetes patients was higher than non-diabetes patients (relative risk 1.17). The relative risk of mortality in uncontrolled diabetes patients was significantly higher than in well-controlled diabetes patients (relative risk 4.58). The area under the curve for mortality and HbA1c level was 0.73. The cut off HbA1c level was 7.75%.A optimal glycemic control level for colon cancer patients with diabetes should be recommended as an HbA1c of 7.8% or below.