New Study: New onset or rapidly worsening Type 2 diabetes could be an early sign of pancreatic cancer
On Monday 30th January, the International Prevention Research Institute presented the results of an analysis of nearly one million patients in Italy and Belgium with Type 2 diabetes. This included patients who had pancreatic cancer. Half of the patients with pancreatic cancer had been diagnosed within one year of being told they had Type 2 diabetes.
Our CEO, Ali Stunt, who is a rare nine year survivor of the disease, has long been a believer that this is an early indicator of pancreatic cancer for some patients. In fact, Ali had developed Type 2 diabetes a year before her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Here Ali shares her thoughts…
“My diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a year before I was told I had pancreatic cancer, was an early sign that I had the disease so I was really pleased to hear the results of this analysis of diabetic patients. The study not only confirms that new onset Type 2 diabetes could indicate early pancreatic cancer, but also presented a significant risk factor.
“Following their diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, the patients, who were later diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, condition deteriorated quickly and they required more aggressive diabetes treatment sooner than most Type 2 diabetic patients. The study showed that rapid movement to drugs including Incretin and Insulin is associated with a seven-fold risk of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“Pancreatic cancer is the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer in the UK yet can be treatable when detected in the early stages. The public and medical community need to be aware of that Type 2 diabetes, which requires more aggressive treatment quickly, could be an early indicator of pancreatic cancer.
“However, what we really need is more research into this link and it could be the basis for an early detection test. There needs to be much more investment into pancreatic cancer to look into this and other methods of diagnosing pancreatic cancer earlier.”
Ali shared her story in : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3891360/My-diabetes-warning-hard-detect-cancer-40-year-old-woman-missed-signs-avoid-doing-same.html