[Clinical characteristics of pancreatic cancer according to the presence of diabetes mellitus].

Background/aims: Pancreatic cancer is fatal with a dismal 6-month median survival from diagnosis. Diabetes mellitus is reported to be present up to 33.3 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer. The reason for the high frequency of diabetes is unknown. We studied the prevalence and duration of diabetes in patients with pancreatic cancer and the relationship between the two diseases.

Methods: A total of 152 patients with pancreatic cancer diagnosed at Yeungnam University Hospital from January 1999 to December 2001 were enrolled in this study. Clinical features, family history, smoking history, and characteristics of the tumor were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic groups.

Results: Among 152 patients with pancreatic cancer, 43 patients (28.3%) had diabetes. In diabetic group, mean age of diagnosis was significantly younger than non- diabetic group (62.0 +/- 7.2 vs. 65.0 +/- 8.8, p<0.05). Most of the patients with diabetes had non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and did not have family history. Diabetes was diagnosed within 2 years after the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 35 patients (74.3%) of the diabetic group. There were no differences in the location and stage of tumor, chief complaints, presence of weight loss, and body mass index between the two groups.

Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus occurs frequently in patients with pancreatic cancer and does not influence clinical features of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer should be suspected in patients with recent onset diabetes, especially in patients without family history of diabetes and with type of NIDDM.