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A new study claims that the postmenopausal women with type II diabetes are about 30 percent more likely to contract breast cancer.

For the study, the researchers at the International Prevention Research Institute (i-PRI), Lyon, analyzed the findings of 40 separate studies aiming at studying the link between breast cancer and diabetes.

The study, which involved over 56,000 cases of breast cancer across four continents, revealed that in postmenopausal women with type II diabetes, there was a 27 percent increased risk of the breast cancer contraction.

Also, the study seems to be true only for postmenopausal women with type II diabetes, as there was no link found in those with type I diabetes.

According to the researchers, high BMI, often associated with diabetes, could be an underlying factor behind the findings.

"Our study found a significantly increased risk of breast cancer in women who had diabetes, which was restricted to those of post-menopausal age," Professor Peter Boyle, president of i-PRI and lead author of the study, was quoted as saying by MailOnline.

"We don't yet know the mechanisms behind why type II diabetes might increase the risk of breast cancer. On the one hand, it's thought that being overweight, often associated with type II diabetes, and the effect this has on hormone activity may be partly responsible for the processes that lead to cancer growth. But it's also impossible to rule out that some factors related to diabetes may be involved in the process."

Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 30 percent and ever year there are more than 4,000 cases of breast cancer in the UK which are linked to excess bodyweight, the report said.

"From this study, it's not clear whether there's a causal link between diabetes and the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. But as we know that having a high BMI can contribute to an increased risk of both type II diabetes and breast cancer, it makes sense for women to try and maintain a healthy weight," said Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK.

"Anyone who is concerned should consult their GP for advice and consider changes to their lifestyle, such as increasing their level of physical activity and changes to their diet, to keep the risks as low as possible."

The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer.