Cracking the Code: Unlocking Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors

Smoking, gender, ethnicity, and even gum disease and blood type can be risk factors for pancreatic cancer, according to recent research from UCL Global Business School for Health (GBSH) and the University of Manchester. Dr. Marzena Nieroda, Lecturer in Healthcare Marketing at UCL GBSH, and colleagues identified and analyzed modifiable and non-modifiable pancreatic cancer risk variables for prevention and early diagnosis.

Role of Lifestyle Choices in Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Modifiable risk variables included behaviors that could be avoided or changed before diagnosis, such as smoking and alcohol intake; non-modifiable risk factors, such as gender, ethnicity, or blood type, could not be avoided. Researchers assessed the degree of evidence for various risk variables in a study of pancreatic cancer research articles published between 2000 and 2021. Smoking, high alcohol intake, early adulthood obesity, and gum disease were identified as modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer that You Cannot Control

Being male, African American/Black, and being older were all non-modifiable risk variables. Blood groups A, B, and AB were also at a higher risk than blood group O. Chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, asbestos exposure, and gallbladder resection were also connected to an elevated risk.

Professor Nieroda notes, "Because of the high incidence and low survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients, it is critical to address newly found and existing risk factors for potential disease prevention. I'm interested in modifiable risk factors, which are lifestyle issues where we can encourage people to adjust their behavior and maybe lessen their likelihood of getting the disease. According to Cancer Research UK, 38% of cancer occurrences are avoidable, and addressing modifiable factors may help lower disease rates."

The findings in this paper can be used to develop a more complex risk prediction model to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and identify at-risk people. Low physical activity, increased red meat and dairy diet, and vitamin D deficiency were all risk factors with little or no evidence of harm.

This research was first published in the journal Cancer Reports and Reviews.

Source-Medindia