EARLY WARNINGS OF PANCREATIC CANCER
Rising blood sugar has a story to tell
DEADLY pancreatic cancer could be diagnosed years earlier — and save lives — if people regularly monitored their weight and blood sugar levels, new research suggests.
Using a database of more than 10 million people, British scientists found that elevated glucose levels determined by HbA1c tests were apparent three years before diagnosis of the dreaded disease, and dramatic weight loss measured by body-mass index (BMI) started as early as two years before!
“Significant decline in weight and increase in blood glucose could be detected in patients years in advance of them receiving a diagnosis for pancreatic cancer,” notes Dr. Agnieszka Lemanska.
There is no screening for pancreatic cancer, and by the time patients start developing symptoms such as jaundice and abdominal pain, it’s already too late for effective treatment. A whopping 95 percent of those diagnosed die, a toll including actor Patrick Swayze and Italian opera legend Luciano Pavarotti.
But if caught early, pancreatic cancer can be treated with surgery. Researchers found that blood sugar levels rise in the early stages as the stressed pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to control blood sugar.
While high blood sugar is also a symptom of diabetes, the researchers say that rising levels in non-diabetics was associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than in diabetics.
Meanwhile unexplained weight loss is a red flag for cancer risk, says the study. The researchers are now looking to build an algorithm for doctors using weight, glucose changes and other factors to improve early diagnosis and lower mortality.