Onkológia 6/2015

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma and diabetes mellitus

Impaired glucose tolerance or frank diabetes mellitus is known to occur more frequently in patients with pancreatic cancer than in the general population. At the time of the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, more than 70% of patients taking the glucose tolerance test show diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (1). Relationship among diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer is vague but sure, although neither the nature nor the sequence of the possible cause – effect relationship has been established. The reason for the high frequency of glucose intolerance in patients with pancreatic cancer remains controversial.

Keywords: pancreatic cancer, diabetes mellitus, peripheral insulin sensitivity, specific diabetogenic factor.