Pancreatic cancer presenting as new-onset diabetes

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has an incidence rate nearly equal to the mortality rate and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the USA. This is largely due to late symptom onset and diagnosis. Evidence has emerged that new-onset diabetes may be a symptom caused by occult pancreatic cancer. We report the case of a middle-aged African American female who presented with hyperglycemia and persistent scapular tenderness. She was subsequently diagnosed with new-onset diabetes and metastatic pancreatic cancer confirmed by liver biopsy. She did not have diabetes or pre-diabetes in the 6 months prior to presentation. The following report will serve to emphasize the role of new-onset diabetes in certain patients as a warning sign necessitating further investigation for pancreatic cancer. New-onset diabetes associated with specific risk factors may prompt for early testing, detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.