For those managing their weight, signs of pancreatic cancer are just as important to recognize, since excess body weight is rarely the only risk factor in play.
Type 2 Diabetes and Blood Sugar Dysregulation
The relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer runs in two directions, and both matter. Diabetes is both a risk factor for developing the disease and potentially an early symptom of it.
According to the NCI, Prediabetes is associated with a 40% increase in pancreatic cancer risk, and type 2 diabetes significantly increases the overall annual incidence rate of pancreatic cancer compared with the general population. The contribution of high fasting plasma glucose to pancreatic cancer deaths rose from 27.24% in 2000 to 35.78% in 2021, the sharpest proportional increase of any single risk factor tracked over that period in the GBD 2021 analysis.
Pancreatic cancer is more likely to occur in people who have had diabetes for more than five years. Research also suggests that a sudden onset of type 2 diabetes may be an early symptom of the cancer itself, especially in those who are over 50, have a low BMI, are losing weight, or do not have a family history of diabetes.
This creates a difficult clinical situation: in some patients, the cancer actually causes the diabetes, not the other way around. A recent systematic review suggested that new-onset diabetes, especially when associated with advanced age, a family history of pancreatic cancer, a personal history of gallstones or pancreatitis, and weight loss, is strongly correlated with pancreatic cancer and could be used as a basis for further screening strategies.
Anyone who develops diabetes suddenly in their 50s or 60s without obvious risk factors, particularly if accompanied by weight loss, should discuss pancreatic screening with their physician.
