Pancreatic cancer patients are nearly six times more likely to have gallstones detected in the year before cancer diagnosis than people without pancreatic cancer, US researchers observed.
In their opinion, this indicates that Gallstones may be a signal of the risk of developing pancreatic cancer – we read on the EurekAlert website. The results of the Boston Medical Center study will be presented during Digestive Disease Week 2022, which will be held in San Diego on May 21-24.
“Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose and therefore the chances of survival are poor. Our results indicate that gallstone disease may be helpful in better diagnosing this cancer – and thus we can save more patients, ”comments lead author Marianna Papageorge of the Boston Medical Center.
The most common type of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenoma, as it accounts for about 90 percent. cases of this cancer.
Papageorge and her colleagues analyzed the 2008-2015 SEER-Medicare registry. They identified 18 patients with pancreatic ductal adenoma. Their data was compared with that of 99 patients in the same database who had no pancreatic cancer.
It turned out that in the year before the diagnosis, 4,7 percent. of pancreatic cancer patients had a diagnosed gallstone disease, and 1,6 percent. had his gallbladder removed for this reason. In the group without cancer, these percentages were respectively – 0,8%. and 0,3 percent
“Gallstones do not cause pancreatic cancer to develop, but understanding how it relates to pancreatic cancer can help combat the high mortality rate from pancreatic cancer by creating early diagnosis and treatment options”Emphasizes Papageorge.
Many people, she points out, have gallstones but do not develop pancreatic cancer. Therefore, future research may focus more on the results of laboratory and imaging tests to assess if there are any specific factors associated with gallstones that could help better identify patients at risk of pancreatic cancer.