Diabetes May be Clue to Pancreatic Cancer

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A recent study by the Mayo Clinic may provide help in diagnosing pancreatic cancer earlier.

Researchers looked at the CT scans of 23 pancreatic cancer patients taken before their diagnosis for unrelated reasons. Half of the patients had diabetes and saw the beginning of their diabetes over six months before they were diagnosed with cancer.

“Our goal with this study was to establish a timeline for the progression of pancreatic cancer, especially in relation to the development of new-onset diabetes,” reports gastroenterologist Suresh Chari, M.D., chief author of the study.

Of the 23 patients, 14 could recall the date their diabetes began. Of these 14, the average diagnosis time for pancreatic cancer was five months after the onset of diabetes. Scans done six months or more before diagnosis showed not a single sign of cancer.

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Although the data is helpful, a drawback lies in the fact that type 2 diabetes is much more widely seen than diabetes as a result of pancreatic cancer.

Source: Ivanhoe’s Medical Breakthroughs – Diabetes May be Clue to Pancreatic Cancer