# Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/82918>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 21, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/82918 "2001-09-21T00:45:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/82918/1 "2001-09-21T00:45:05Z")

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Does pancreatic cancer occur more frequently in diabetics than non-diabetics?

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/82918/2 "2001-09-21T02:32:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Recent results refute the previous notion that diabetes is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. . . . Based on these data, the investigators concluded that diabetes mellitus could be a causative factor in the development of liver and endometrial cancers, while diabetes may be an early symptom rather than a direct cause of pancreatic cancer, or at least preneoplastic pancreatic lesions (91).  
> [http://www.bioscience.org/1997/v2/d/pour/11.htm](http://www.bioscience.org/1997/v2/d/pour/11.htm)

I’m interested to hear what our resident M.D.s have to say on the matter.

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/82918/3 "2001-09-21T02:47:37Z")

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Diabetes of recent onset has been linked to pancreatic cancer (eg. [this article](http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/331/2/81)). Although the subject is still controversial, diabetes in general is probably associated with pancreatic cancer as [this recent review](http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00268/bibs/1025004/10250503.html) attests. Interestingly, even the [prediabetic state may be associated with pancreatic cancer](http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v283n19/abs/joc92021.html).