title: Preoperative glucose abnormalities in patients with pancreatic tumours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic cancer is a neoplasm characterised by poor prognosis. The only effective, possible treatment is radical surgery, but most patients do not qualify for surgery because of delayed diagnosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if assessment of endocrine pancreatic function could serve as a means of screening for pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was conducted on a group of 50 patients diagnosed with pancreatic tumour, who were qualified for surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1.07.2010 to 4.07.2011 a further 50 patients were added to the study group. They had been admitted to the hospital with pancreatic tumours. During the preoperative period, nine of these people had been treated for diabetes, 14 were newly diagnosed with diabetes and 15 had been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, but only 12 had a normal glucose profile. Afterwards, patients underwent the surgical treatment. Histopathological examination revealed that out of the 50 operated patients, 36 suffered from malignant disease, and of these only four had no impaired glucose tolerance before treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In most cases, patients with pancreatic tumours have impaired glucose tolerance. Screening patients over 50 years of age could speed up diagnosis and surgical treatment.
authors: Clinical Department of Gastroenterology Surgery and Transplantation, Central Clinical Hospital of Interior, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Marta A
authors: MA
authors: Matejak-Górska
authors: Clinical Department of Gastroenterology Surgery and Transplantation, Central Clinical Hospital of Interior, Warsaw, Poland ; Department of Surgical Research and Transplantology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Durlik
authors: Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Central Clinical Hospital of Interior, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Bernadetta
authors: B
authors: Kałuża
authors: Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Central Clinical Hospital of Interior, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Alicja
authors: A
authors: Milczarczyk
authors: Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Central Clinical Hospital of Interior, Warsaw, Poland ; Department of Human Epigenetics, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Franek
keywords: diabetes; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic cancer screening; pancreatitis; risk factors for pancreatic cancer; surgery