HOLOCAUST
IMAJ | volume 28
Journal 4, April 2026
pages: 217-221
Shoah Syndrome: Diabetes and Malignancy in the Ghettos during World War II, Contrasting with the Increased Prevalence during the Later Life of Survivors
1 School of Humanities, University of New England, Armidale, and University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2 Anatomical Pathologist, Hystopath Diagnostic, Sydney, Australia
Summary
In this study on Holocaust (Shoah) survivors, we reviewed accumulated data demonstrating an increased incidence of diabetes and cancer in the later years of survivors. We evaluated the status of high nutrition, compared to the low incidence of the same morbidities affecting the prisoners in the ghettos of World War II, while experiencing severe nutritional deficiency. The assumption of the high glucose requirement of cancer cells is discussed.