New-Onset Diabetes May Help Guide Pancreatic Cancer Screening
Major Finding: Diabetes was the diagnosis preceding pancreatic cancer by the greatest amount of time, a median of 28 months.
Data Source: A population-based study of 22,493 adults aged 65 years or older who had pancreatic cancer
Disclosures: Dr. Ragulin-Coyne reported that she had no relevant conflicts of interest.
FROM A MEETING ON GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
In any case, identifying the reasons will be critical to moving all patients into the early diagnosis group. "I think that will ultimately be the best thing if, when they come, we can offer them treatments and cure and options, versus just saying, unfortunately, it’s too late," she commented.
The investigators have obtained the SEER data for all similar older adults without a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and using a matched analysis, plan to develop and test a prediction nomogram using the information from their study. "Stay tuned for that," she advised.
"Screening for pancreatic cancer will be a great future tool," Dr. Ragulin-Coyne concluded, while also cautioning that there is still much work to be done before some type of population-based screening becomes a reality.
Dr. Ragulin-Coyne reported having no conflicts of interest related to the study.
