Diabetes and Weight Loss Is a High Risk for Cancer

A just published study says adults with recent-onset diabetes who have lost weight – even as little as 1 pound – are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The greater the weight loss, the higher the risk.

Published online at JAMA Oncology, the study found that individuals with recent-onset diabetes who lost between 1 and 4 pounds had a 25% higher risk of pancreatic cancer, while those whose weight loss was more than 8 pounds had a 92% higher risk than those who had no weight loss.

When compared to those without diabetes, the risk of developing cancer was almost 7 times higher for those with the biggest weight loss.

That there’s an association between diabetes and pancreatic cancer is well known. Previous studies have shown that recent-onset diabetes and unintentional weight loss could lead to developing pancreatic cancer.

“The more novel finding here is that when both risk factors are combined, the risk is even greater,” said Peter Campbell, PhD, scientific director of epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society.

The significance of these findings, according to the researchers, is that individuals with recent-onset diabetes accompanied by weight loss “may be a group for whom early detection strategies would be advantageous.”

“Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%,” wrote Chen Yuan, ScD, with the Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and his research colleagues.

“This low survival rate is largely associated with the diagnosis occurring at an advanced stage when the cancer is no longer curable.”

By monitoring high risk individuals, as is done with those having a family history of pancreatic cancer, the chance of detecting it early improves markedly and substantially increases the survival rate.

How aggressively this should be done for those with recent-onset diabetes and weight loss requires additional study, the researchers said.

However, “The coexistence of these symptoms should be recognized by clinicians given that both the relative and absolute risks for pancreatic cancer are high, particularly in individuals with healthy weight before weight loss or those who are not trying to lose weight through changes in physical activity or diet.”

Photo by Samuel Ramos on Unsplash

Green Key Unlocked: Mastering your Healthcare Interview
General Interest Healthcare

Green Key Unlocked: Mastering your Healthcare Interview

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?
General Interest Healthcare Pharma

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching
Accounting + Finance Architecture + Engineering Financial Services General Interest Healthcare Human Resources Information Technology Legal Support Marketing Technology Pharma Professional Support

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Justin Nadelman

Navigating the Tech Interview Maze: A Guide to Success
General Interest Information Technology

Navigating the Tech Interview Maze: A Guide to Success

Green Key Unlocked: How to Succeed in Payroll Management
Accounting + Finance General Interest Human Resources Leadership + Management

Green Key Unlocked: How to Succeed in Payroll Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jenny Rehkugler
Accounting + Finance General Interest

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jenny Rehkugler

Handling Mistakes & Failure in the Workplace
General Interest Worklife

Handling Mistakes & Failure in the Workplace

How to Support Those Affected by Hawai’i Wildfires 
Green Key News

How to Support Those Affected by Hawai’i Wildfires 

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Halle Sarfin
Green Key News Professional Support

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Halle Sarfin

Advantages of Offering Exit Interviews
General Interest Human Resources

Advantages of Offering Exit Interviews

Tracking Metrics: Learning & Development
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

Tracking Metrics: Learning & Development

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Leanna Gallagher
Green Key News Human Resources

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Leanna Gallagher

How to Beat the Summer Productivity Slump
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

How to Beat the Summer Productivity Slump

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Recruiter
General Interest Leadership + Management Worklife

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Recruiter

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Chianté Vidal
Architecture + Engineering Green Key News

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Chianté Vidal

Celebrating 10 Years of GKR in Rockville
Green Key News Leadership + Management Professional Support

Celebrating 10 Years of GKR in Rockville

Internal Mobility: Retaining Top Talent
General Interest

Internal Mobility: Retaining Top Talent

Green Key Unlocked: The Future of Telemedicine & Virtual Healthcare
General Interest Healthcare Information Technology

Green Key Unlocked: The Future of Telemedicine & Virtual Healthcare

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Melissa Sanchez
General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Leadership + Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Melissa Sanchez

Latest Blog Posts
View All Posts
Green Key Unlocked: Mastering your Healthcare Interview

Green Key Unlocked: Mastering your Healthcare Interview

Staying in the same vein as preparing for success in a tech interview, let’s take a look at how to...
Read More
Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

Is Covid-19 Back or Are We Just Seeing a Surge in Cases?

With the recent increase in hospitalizations and Covid-19 cases across the U.S. the question of How to protect ourselves and...
Read More
Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

Strategic Networking: A Secret Weapon in Job Searching

Networking is more than connecting with other professionals on LinkedIn or collecting contacts; it's about building relationships that can lead...
Read More