Table 1 Summary of study characteristics included in primary analysis

Yun et al. 2012 [77]

Korea

Male

Prostate

Fasting

Hitachi 7600 automatic chemical analyser using hexokinase method

Case control#

Age, BMI

OR for 2^nd and 3^rd tertile compared to 1^st tertile: 1.63 (95% CI: 0.92-2.88) and 1.70 (95% CI: 0.91-3.18)

Albanes et al. 2009 [78]

Finland

Male

Prostate

Fasting

Hitachi 912 Chemistry Analyzer using the hexokinase reagent

Case cohort

Age, BMI

OR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.33 (95% CI: 0.72-2.48), 0.95 (95% CI: 0.46-1.86), and 1.43 (95% CI: 0.76-2.68)

Chung et al. 2006 [79]

Korea

Both

Colorectal

Fasting

Enzymatic colorimetric test

Case control#

Age, sex, BMI, triglycerides, cholesterol

OR for 2^nd and 3^rd tertile compared to 1^st tertile: 2.0 (95% CI: 0.9-4.4) and 3.0 (95% CI: 0.9-9.8)

Jee et al. 2005 Male [5]

Korea

Male

All Cancers

Fasting

Not specified

Cohort

Age, age squared, amount of smoking, alcohol use

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th quintile compared to 1^st quintile: 1.01 (95% CI: 0.99-1.04), 1.13 (95% CI: 1.09-1.17), 1.16 (95% CI: 1.08-1.24), and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.16-1.27)

Jee et al. 2005 Female [5]

Korea

Female

All Cancers

Fasting

Not specified

Cohort

Age, age squared, amount of smoking, alcohol use

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th quintile compared to 1^st quintile: 1.02 (95% CI: 0.99-1.06), 1.03 (95% CI: 0.96-1.10), 1.03 (95% CI: 0.93-1.13), and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.01-1.25)

Hsing et al. 2003 [80]

China

Male

Prostate

Fasting

Radioimmunoassay with sensitivity limit of 0.5 ng/mL

Case control*

Age, total calories, BMI

OR for 2^nd and 3^rd tertile compared to 1^st quartile: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.46-1.44), and 1.68 (95% CI: 1.01-2.80)

Wulaningsih et al. 2013 [81]

Sweden

Both

All Cancers

Non specified

Enzymatically with a glucose oxidase/peroxidase method

Cohort

Age, gender, socioeconomic status, fasting,co-morbidities

HR: 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02-1.14) per standardized log of glucose

Cust et al. 2007 [82]

Western Europe

Female

Endometrial

Non specified

Enzymatic colorimetric test

Case control*

Study centre, menopausal status, age, time of day of blood collection, fasting status, phase of menstrual cycle (pre menopausal)

OR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.01 (95% CI: 0.58-1.74), 1.59 (95% CI: 0.89-2.83), and 1.62 (95% CI: 0.89-2.95)

Limburg et al. 2006 [83]

Finland

Male

Colorectal

Fasting

Hitachi 912 Chemistry Analyzer using the hexokinase reagent

Case cohort

Smoking pack years, BMI, protein intake, fat intake, fibre intake, alcohol consumption, caloric intake, history of DM, occupational physical activity

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.19 (95% CI: 0.58-2.43), 1.95 (95% CI: 0.97-3.91), and 1.65 (95% CI: 0.78-3.49)

Stolzenberg-Solomon et al. 2005 [84]

Finland

Male

Pancreatic

Fasting

Assay performed on a chemical analyser

Case cohort

Age, years of smoking and BMI

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.15 (95% CI: 0.66-2.02), 1.49 (95% CI: 0.86-2.59), and 1.69 (95% CI: 0.97-2.94)

Yamada 1998 et al. [85]

Japan

Both

Colorectal

Fasting

Enzymatically using commercially available kits

Case control*

Age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption

OR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.0 (95% CI: 0.6-1.7), 0.7 (95% CI: 0.3-1.5), and 2.0 (0.9-4.4)

Schoen et al. 1999 [86]

USA

Both

Colorectal

Fasting

Cohort

Age, sex, physical activity

Zhang et al. 2010 [87]

China

Female

Endometrial

Fasting

Abbott Aeroset TM fully Automatic Biochemical Analyzer

Case control#

Menopausal status, BMI

OR: 4.34 (95% CI: 3.48-5.42) for high versus low serum glucose levels

Gunter et al. 2009 [88]

USA

Female

Breast

Fasting

Assay with sensitivity of 0.5 mg/dL

Case cohort

Age, race, alcohol consumption, smoking, FHx breast cancer, parity,age at menarche, age at first childs birth,use of OCP, NSAIDs, HRT, educational attainment, endogenous estrodiol levels, BMI, physical activity

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quantile compared to 1^st quantile: 1.14 (95% CI: 0.82-1.59), 0.99 (95% CI: 0.70-1.38), and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.65-1.29)

Sieri et al. 2012 [89]

Italy

Female

Breast

Fasting

Enzymatic UV test using a fully automated system with sensitivity of 0.04 mmol/L

Case control*

Age, education, age at first birth, age at menarche, parity, FHx breast cancer, OCP, breastfeeding, alcohol intake, smoking

OR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 1.18 (95% CI: 0.84-1.66), 1.29 (95% CI: 0.89-1.86), and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.14-2.32)

Gunter et al. 2008 [44]

USA

Female

Colorectal

Fasting

Assay with sensitivity of 0.5 mg/dL

Case cohort

Age

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quantile compared to 1^st quantile: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.66-1.34), 0.91 (95% CI: 0.63-1.30), and 1.16 (95% CI: 0.83-1.63)

Van Hemelrijck et al. 2011 [90]

Sweden

Both

Renal

Mixed

Enzymatically with a glucose-oxidaseperoxidase method

Cohort

Age, gender, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, fasting status, SES

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 0.97 (95% CI: 0.77-1.21), 1.09 (95% CI: 0.88-1.35), and 1.19 (95% CI: 0.97-1.46)

Van Hemelrijck et al. 2011 [91]

Sweden

Male

Prostate

Mixed

Enzymatically with a glucose-oxidaseperoxidase method

Cohort

Fasting status,triglyceride and total cholesterol quartile , SES, time btw measurement and cohort entry

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quartile compared to 1^st quartile: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.86-1.01), 0.93 (95% CI: 0.85-1.01), and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.81-0.94)

Chao et al. 2011 [92]

China

Male

Liver

Fasting

Automatic dry-chemical analyzer

Case cohort

Age, smoking, alcohol consumption, FHx of HCC, HBV viral load, HCV genotype ,HbeAg status, BCP double mutations

HR for 2^nd and 3^rd tertile compared to 1^st tertile: 1.40 (95% CI: 0.80-2.45) and 2.37 (95% CI: 1.12-5.04)

Stocks et al. 2009 [18]

Western Europe

Male

All Cancers

Mixed

Mixture of non-enzymatic, serum/enzymatic, and plasma/enzymatic

Cohort

Age, BMI, smoking status

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th quintile compared to 1^st quintile: 1.07 (95% CI: 0.90-1.25), 1.10 (95% CI: 0.93-1.29), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.02-1.37), and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.00-1.37)

Stocks et al. 2009 [18]

Western Europe

Female

All Cancers

Mixed

Cohort

Age, BMI, smoking status

HR for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th quintile compared to 1^st quintile: 0.87 (95% CI: 0.70-1.07), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.73-1.10), 1.18 (95% CI: 0.97-1.42), and 1.29 (95% CI: 1.07-1.59)