A Hidden Warning Sign and Early Heads-Up For Pancreatic Cancer

https://www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(14)00624-6/abstract

” Those with the highest risk of developing sporadic Pancreatic Cancer include those with new-onset diabetes, older than 50 years, and with a smoking history.”

If you’re over 50, smoke cigarettes, and have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be getting a warning that shouldn’t be ignored..

New research has uncovered a critical link between new-onset diabetes (NoD) over age 50 and pancreatic cancer, and the risk is especially high for smokers.

Smoking is a well-known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. But when combined with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes after age 50, the danger multiplies.

That New-Onset Diabetes May Be Signaling Cancer

About 1 in 4 pancreatic cancer patients develop diabetes through a cancer-driven process in the 6 to 36 months before diagnosis. That means that pancreatic cancer causing New-Onset Diabetes can be detected long before the cancer would normally begin showing symptoms and be diagnosed.

For people diagnosed with diabetes at or after age 50, the 3-year risk of pancreatic cancer jumps to 0.8% – 1.0% which is 6 to 10 times higher than the 3 year risk for the general population..

Watch for These Red Flags

If you’re a smoker over 50 and have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, pay close attention to:

  • Unexplained weight loss
  • High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)

These symptoms may indicate that a tumor is disrupting your body’s glucose metabolism – a phenomenon that often occurs LONG before pancreatic cancer is diagnosed.

Early Detection Is Possible

Here’s the hopeful news: most New-Onset Diabetic patients show signs of hyperglycemia while their cancer is still in early, potentially operable stages. And while there’s a 3 in 4 chance you don’t have it, there’s a 1 in 4 chance you do. That means there’s a window to catch it early – if the docs know what to look for.

What You Should Consider Doing

If you or someone you love fits this profile – smoker, age 50+, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – don’t wait. Talk to your doctor about screening for pancreatic cancer. Imaging tests and blood work could reveal the disease in its earliest stages before it spreads.

Early detection on Pancreatic Cancer saves lives. Waiting until symptoms emerge is often too late, If you meet the New-Onset Diabetes, over 50, and smoker criteria, this is your chance to act.

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