OBJECTIVES: The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be higher compared to the general population as there is a likely association with hyperinsulinemia, which is a result of insulin resistance characteristic of T2D. Insulin's role in cell proliferation through the action of insulin-like growth factor-1, as well as inhibition of apoptosis, could play a significant role in the development of cancerous tissues. Our objective was to characterize the demographic differences in incident NSCLC patients with and without T2D.

METHODS: We conducted a cohort study design utilizing Medicare claims from the SEER - Medicare linked database (2007 - 2014). Univariate statistics was completed for descriptive analyses of patient characteristics. We compared NSCLC patients with and without T2D using chi-square test of association.

RESULTS: Of 17,176 NSCLC patients, 5,096 patients had T2D in the pre-period (prior to incident NSCLC diagnosis). A greater proportion of NSCLC diabetic patients were males 51% vs.41% (p<0.001) compared to their non-diabetic NSCLC-peers. Diabetic NSCLC patients had a similar distribution in cancer stage, (0.3820). Diabetic NSCLC patients had significantly greater mortality, 81% vs. 77% (p<0.001) and greater number of mean comorbidities 7.45 (SD:4.05) vs. 4.74 (3.72).

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that NSCLC patients with T2D have a greater number of comorbidities and mortality compared to those without diabetes. Clinical strategies to better manage T2D in NSCLC patients could lower mortality rate, reduce hospitalization time, and lower healthcare costs.