Association between pancreatic cancer and diabetes: insights from a retrospective cohort study

Studies investigating the prevalence of pancreatic cancer have revealed a heightened risk of 1.5 to 2.0 times among individuals with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes among patients with pancreatic cancer, and identify the factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in this population.

This retrospective observational and analytical study was carried out in the Department of Gastroenterology of the Mohammed VI University Hospital over a period of 5 years, between 2018 and 2022, including all patients with confirmed cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Out of the 197 patients, 38.1% had a history of diabetes, among them, 42.7% had new-onset diabetes, while the remaining 57.3% had long-standing diabetes. Diabetic patients were significantly older than nondiabetic patients (mean age of 67.2 vs. 63, P = 0.009). Diabetes was more prevalent among obese patients (66.7%, P = 0.01), and less frequent among individuals with chronic alcohol consumption (20% vs. 80%, P = 0.04), and tobacco smokers (24.4% vs75.6%, P = 0.03). Among patients with an ECOG score ≥ 3, DM, 54.5% were DM-patients (P = 0.033). The same significant association was found for the Nutritional Risk Index, Patients who had moderate or severe malnutrition were more likely to be diabetic 74.7% (P = 0.004). Diabetic patients were less likely to undergo surgery due to comorbidities and general health deterioration. However, no significant differences were observed in sex, tumor stage or location.

Our study has shown an increased prevalence of diabetes in pancreatic cancer and highlights the importance of considering this cancer in cases of recent onset or uncontrolled diabetes, especially in elderly individuals.