Sudden onset diabetes & Cancer of the Pancreas

[Total loss]

Mrs Total Loss has just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes after being quite ill for a month. Searching the 'net for diets/foods she can/cannot have , I have just come across a link which caught my eye
"Sudden onset of diabetes in people with normal body mass index is often a warning sign of pancreatic abnormalities and can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, when well-controlled diabetes suddenly becomes brittle or poorly controlled, this change can also be a warning sign for pancreatic cancer."
Her mother had pancreatic cancer. Is there any hereditary possibility's to this ? Should we mention this to the doctor ? Testing ?
Thanks , Martin

[Shaw Tarse]

I'm no expert, but I'd mention it to the doc.

[anonymous-user]

My Dad recently died from Pancreatic Cancer (well the botched operation anyway) so we asked questions about family likelihood of us getting it.
We were told by consultant it is not hereditary, however the quicker you get it the better chances are of longer lifespan.. apparently my dads had been growing 6 months before major symptoms. So he was 'fine' this time last year and dead by June 2012.. awful disease.

[Total loss]

1974nc said:

My Dad recently died from Pancreatic Cancer (well the botched operation anyway) so we asked questions about family likelihood of us getting it.
We were told by consultant it is not hereditary, however the quicker you get it the better chances are of longer lifespan.. apparently my dads had been growing 6 months before major symptoms. So he was 'fine' this time last year and dead by June 2012.. awful disease.

My mother inlaw chose no treatment because it was so advanced. Given 9 months, she got a lot of things done that she wanted to, the last 4 months were just hell, as you said, an awful disease.

[Total loss]

swerni said:

Even if you are mildly concerned, go and see the doctor!

Trawling the web isn't a good idea though, you'll find so much contradictory stuff it will drive you mad.

I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find someone saying it's caused by dengue fever or some other spurious disease.

I worded my inquiry poorly, it should have been just about pancreatic cancer being hereditary or not. Of course I will ask the doctors although it could be a problem as I am not the patient as I can't mention it to the Mrs because she would freak out,what with her mother previously and her best friend has terminal cancer now.

[K77 CTR]

There is a hereditary risk to pancreatic cancer and also Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. A colleague of mine had an ultrasound scan after his brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I would suggest discussing it with her GP in the new year.

[SunDiver]

See below for risk factors. Hereditary aspects and diabetes are both mentioned in terms of their (relative) risk ratio, albeit not in significant detail:-

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancer...

And for information on incidence in the UK, including by age:-

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancer...

[mph1977]

swerni said:

Even if you are mildly concerned, go and see the doctor!

Trawling the web isn't a good idea though, you'll find so much contradictory stuff it will drive you mad.

I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find someone saying it's caused by dengue fever or some other spurious disease.

yep

[Captain Cadillac]

I've survived Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

I was VERY lucky and it was caught early. I had a distal pancreatectotomy and a few lymph nodes removed and lots and lots of chemo and radiation. If the disease is curable, it must be caught early.

Your wife needs the following done, ASAP:

CA 19-9 tumor market bloodwork. She should be basically zero. Pancreatitis can cause this number to be inflated however.

An ultrasound/scan to look for a tumor.

Get these done as soon as humanly possible. Chances are she doesn't have PC, as stty as this disease is, it's still rather rare.

[anonymous-user]

SunDiver said:

See below for risk factors. Hereditary aspects and diabetes are both mentioned in terms of their (relative) risk ratio, albeit not in significant detail:-

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancer...

And for information on incidence in the UK, including by age:-

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancer...

Rather worrying as one of the foremost experts on it told me that there was no hereditary link!

[SunDiver]

1974nc said:

Rather worrying as one of the foremost experts on it told me that there was no hereditary link!

There may have been other information in your case that invalidated any hereditary contribution. In any event it "only" doubles the odds - they still remain small.

For instance, if it's any comfort, Cancer Research UK also report that drinking the equivalent of just two bottles of wine a week similarly doubles the odds (and more if you also smoke) for oral cancer - which also kills you. But few of us worry about that. Many frequently present factors raise the odds of all kinds of things.

Edited by SunDiver on Monday 24th December 13:44

[Total loss]

Thanks for the relies guys