Originally published August 6 2005
Diabetes sufferers are at a higher risk to develop pancreatic cancer
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A new study has shown that diabetics aged 50 or older have a higher risk for developing pancreatic cancer.
According to a study published today in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Gastroenterology, 1 in 120 people newly diagnosed with diabetes age 50 and older have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer--a risk that is eight times more than expected for the general population.
For years, there has been controversy over whether type 2 diabetes predisposes people to pancreatic cancer or if diabetes is an indicator of underlying pancreatic cancer.
This is the first study to evaluate the importance of using age at diabetes diagnosis as an indicator for pancreatic cancer and suggests a new population to be tested for pancreatic cancer.
"Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is nearly impossible due to the lack of a known population at risk for the disease and an accurate screening test.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cancer killer in the United States and it is estimated that nearly 32,000 people will die in 2005 from the disease.
Only 23 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer survive more than a year after diagnosis and 4 percent survive for five years.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine conducted a population-based study to evaluate the usefulness of using new-onset diabetes as an underlying marker for pancreatic cancer.
The study population included 2,122 patients from Rochester, MN, aged 50 and older who were diagnosed with diabetes between 1950 and 1995.
Researchers compared these results with rates expected for people of similar age and sex without diabetes.
While study findings show that older patients have less than a 1 percent chance of having pancreatic cancer as the cause of their diabetes, they are still considered a high-risk group for developing the cancer.
"More research is needed to determine if using increased sugar levels as an indicator of pancreatic cancer is feasible," said Dr. Chari.
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