Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40764810›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Association of type 2 diabetes mellitus with histopathological features of Non-metastatic breast cancer in Chinese women: a retrospective Cross-sectional study.

Lei Liu, Ying Gao, Peng Liu, Rui Hui, Jin Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lei Liu *The 3rd Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, 300060, China. liuleidoc1@126.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4296-8642
Ying Gao *Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Tianjin Key Laboratory of General Surgery in Construction, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, No. 190 Jieyuan Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Peng LiuThe 3rd Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, 300060, China.
Rui HuiThe 3rd Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, 300060, China.
Jin ZhangThe 3rd Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, 300060, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breast cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are prevalent global health concerns, often sharing overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms. This study aimed to characterize the association of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with the histopathological features of non-metastatic breast cancer in Chinese women and evaluate whether glycemic control, diabetes duration, and treatment were involved. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 924 patients with stage I-III ductal breast cancer, equally divided into diabetic (n = 462) and nondiabetic (n = 462) groups. Patients were stratified by fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, use of metformin and insulin, and diabetes duration. The expression of hormone receptors estrogen and progesterone (ER, PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), Ki-67, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and pathological tumor node metastasis (pTNM) staging were analyzed. Diabetic patients exhibited a higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and a lower incidence of HER2-positive breast cancer compared to nondiabetic patients. Poor glycemic control (FBG ≥ 10 mmol/L) was associated with a higher risk of TNBC, histological grade III disease, and lower ER-positive rates compared to those with FBG < 6.1 mmol/L. Patients taking metformin had an increased likelihood of TNBC and decreased ER-positive rates. Insulin-treated patients demonstrated a lower prevalence of pTNM stage I cancers but a nearly fivefold increase in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Those receiving combination treatment of metformin and insulin were also more likely to present with DCIS. Patients with a longer diabetes duration (≥ 7 years) had significantly lower risks of TNBC and HER2-positive breast cancer but were more likely to have ER- and PR-positive subtypes and histological grade I tumors. These findings highlight the impact of T2DM, glycemic control, and diabetes management on the molecular and histopathological features of non-metastatic breast cancer. While associations were identified, causality could not be determined due to the cross-sectional design. Understanding these associations could guide tailored treatment strategies for diabetic breast cancer patients.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2AdultAgedBlood GlucoseChinaCross-Sectional StudiesEast Asian PeopleErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansMetforminMiddle AgedReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, ProgesteroneRetrospective StudiesBlood GlucoseERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesMetforminReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, ProgesteroneBreast cancerGlycemic controlHistopathologyMolecular subtypeType 2 diabetes mellitus

Identifiers

PMID40764810
PMCPMC12325790

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Texttitle and abstract
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.