Pancreatic Cancer Causes & Risk Factors
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Pancreatic cancer is two times more likely to occur in people who have diabetes than in people who do not have diabetes. However, the relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer is still not completely understood. It is not uncommon for individuals to develop diabetes before pancreatic cancer is detected, and it may be that this glucose intolerance is actually caused by changes in the pancreas resulting from the cancer.
Diabetes is a condition that is marked by high blood sugar and glucose intolerance. It occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to properly metabolize, or break down, glucose in the system, or when the body cannot properly use existing insulin. Since insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, the development of diabetes can be linked to problems in the pancreas.
Sudden onset of diabetes in people with normal body mass index is often a warning sign of pancreatic abnormalities and can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, when well-controlled diabetes suddenly becomes brittle or poorly controlled, this change can also be a warning sign for pancreatic cancer.
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About 30% of pancreatic cancer cases are thought to be a direct result of cigarette smoking. People who smoke cigarettes are twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as people who do not smoke cigarettes. Additionally, the cancerous tumors that form as a result of cigarette smoking grow at an accelerated rate and develop approximately 10 years earlier than tumors not related to smoking.
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There are many risk factors present to develop pancreatic cancer. Here are a few:
Chronic Pancreatitis, Heriditary Mutations in BRCA (Breast Cancer), Diabetes & Insulin Resistance, Smoking, High Fat Diet, Obesity & Lack of Exercise, Partial Gastrectomy, Hepatitis-B.
Beneficial Factors: Plenty of Exercise, Low fat diet, & Quitting smoking.
Unknown Factors: Coffee & Alcohol as data obscured by concurrent smoking.
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Up to 15% of pancreatic cancer is related to a family history of the disease. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases by 2-3 times if a person's mother, father, sibling, or child had pancreatic cancer. The risk multiplies if a greater number of family members are affected. There are several inherited gene mutations that have been linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer including the genes responsible for breast and ovarian cancer, and melanoma.
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Inherited gene mutations play a role in up to 15% of all cancers of the pancreas. Family members of patients with pancreatic cancer may have a dramatically increased risk of developing the disease. It is now known that at least six distinct cancer syndromes account for a portion of inherited pancreatic cancers.
A family history of pancreatic cancer not related to inherited gene mutations is also significant and increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer at least fivefold.
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The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases after age 50. Most patients are between the ages of 60 and 80 at the time of diagnosis.
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Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. People diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Chronic pancreatitis is a condition that can strike people of any age. It is typically diagnosed in people who are 35-45 years old. It can be due to a number of factors including hereditary (genetic) pancreatitis, malformation of pancreas ducts, trauma to pancreas, or excessive alcohol abuse for many years.
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