They can be the same thing. A transmission line will attenuate an amount (based on distance) whilst maintaining impedances so, it could be regarded as causing "insertion loss".
Here's what wiki says about cable attenuation: -
Insertion Loss
Insertion loss, also referred to as attenuation, refers to the loss of signal strength at the far end of a line compared to the signal that was introduced into the line. This loss is due to the electrical impedance of the copper cable, the loss of energy through the cable insulation and the impedance caused by the connectors. Insertion loss is usually expressed in decibels dB with a minus sign. Insertion loss increases with distance and frequency. For every 6dB3 dB of loss, the original signal will be half the original power (\$\sqrt2\$ of amplitude).
Taken from here