Adults who overcame a childhood bout with cancer are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes than siblings who didn’t, according to a study. The study of almost 9,000 cancer survivors found that 2.5 percent had diabetes, compared with only 1.7 percent of their brothers and sisters. After adjusting for factors like age, sex, income, and body mass index, the researchers concluded that childhood cancer nearly doubles survivors’ risk of getting diabetes. The researchers speculate that anticancer radiation therapy may damage the pancreas.   
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, Aug. 10/24, 2009