Washington, Jun 12 (IANS): Women suffering from diabetes are at a greater risk of developing cancer, a new study has revealed.

The researchers at Tel Aviv University's Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine observed 16,721 diabetics, differentiating between men and women and defining the relative cancer risks for each group.

"The interaction of diabetes and female hormones appears to exaggerate the risk, and make certain organs like the uterus and ovaries more receptive to certain kinds of cancer," said Dr. Gabriel Chodick, who along with Dr. Varda Shalev led the research.

However, "for men, this study is good news", said Chodick.

The findings show that diabetes appears to have a preventative effect on conditions like prostate cancer, reducing the risk of cancers associated with insulin-like hormones by a whopping 47 percent.

Dr. Chodick suggests diabetic women to undergo screening for colon cancer earlier.