Family history of diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between a family history of diabetes and pancreatic cancer.


METHODS
We reviewed the records of 331 patients with pancreatic ductal cancer and information about a family history of diabetes in first-degree relatives. They were classified into 2 groups: patients with a family history of diabetes (group FH: 43 cases) and those without (group non-FH: 288 cases). Their clinical characteristics were compared. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups according to the presence of long-standing diabetes for at least 3 years before the diagnosis of the pancreatic cancer, and the 2 subgroups were also compared.


RESULTS
As compared with group non-FH, group FH was 4 years younger at the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (61.33 +/- 9.00 vs. 65.46 +/- 10.48 years; P = 0.015) and showed a significant predilection for cancer of the pancreas body and/or tail (65.1% vs. 43.4%; P = 0.009). In group FH, patients with long-standing diabetes more often had nontubular type carcinoma than those without (44.4% vs. 0%; P = 0.007). However, no differences were seen between subgroups of group non-FH.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that pancreatic cancer patients with a family history of diabetes have different clinical characteristics compared with those without. The high rate of atypical histology seen in patients with a positive family history and preexisting diabetes might indicate a separate pathway for tumorigenesis in such patients.
Egawa
Naoto
N
Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. naoto@cick.jp
Tu
Yuyang
Y
Sanaka
Masaki
M
Kamisawa
Terumi
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors