Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer. It is not particularly common, yet it is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. There are currently no screening tests to identify pancreatic cancer before it becomes symptomatic, at which point it is usually too late to cure. But researchers are making inroads on what sort of screening might save lives. Because catching cancer before it spreads is the best way to cure it.
Why is pancreatic cancer so deadly? The main reasons are all tied to a factor we always deal with in failure-to-diagnose-cancer cases: causation. With pancreatic cancer, all too often the cancer is not discovered until it has metastasized. At that point, surgery to remove the primary tumor is no longer an option. It is so often discovered late because most patients are asymptomatic in the early stages, and even later symptoms are subtle and easily (and reasonably) attributed to other conditions. 85% of folks with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer are diagnosed after the cancer has already metastasized.
Cancer researchers are trying to change these numbers. One way to get at them has been to identify risk factors. There are some risk factors for all types of cancer: smoking, obesity, and old age, for example. Some risk factors are modifiable; old age less so. But type 2 diabetes is also a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and possible early warning sign.
You see, diabetes arises in the pancreas, and newly developed Type 2 diabetes could be an indicator of concerning abnormalities in the organ. Researchers are following this thread of a connection to find genes that may predict the development of the cancer. Furthermore, research is showing a dramatic increase in pancreatic cancer incidents in patients who developed diabetes after an attack of pancreatitis. Research studies are taking place all over the country to pursue this correlation of diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
The idea is to identify the proper at risk populations for whom screening should be recommended, and start identifying pancreatic cancer before it spreads.
