Hyperglycemia predicts adverse prognosis in advanced pancreatic cancer patients

China: Recent research from China reported that the overall survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is worsened by hyperglycemia. The study results were published in the journal Endocrine.  

Diabetes mellitus is a global pandemic with increased mortality and morbidity. It is a prevalent comorbidity in pancreatic cancer. Studies in the past measured the association between diabetes and pancreatic cancer outcomes. But there is limited research on the impact of hyperglycemia on the prognosis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Hence Xinzhe Zhu et al conducted a study to understand the associations between hyperglycemia and clinical variables or prognosis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Using a prospectively maintained database, information was collected on patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. the patients were divided into the hyperglycemia group (fasting blood glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L) and the normoglycemia group (fasting blood glucose < 7.0 mmol/L). Patients with preexisting diabetes were not included in these groups. The associations between hyperglycemia and clinical variables or prognosis were analyzed. 

Key findings of the study:

• Nearly 25.3% were diagnosed with hyperglycemia, among 697 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and no prior history of diabetes. 
• A higher risk of developing hyperglycemia was observed in patients older than 65 years (P = 0.044).
• Worse prognosis was seen in patients with hyperglycemia than those with normoglycemia (median survival, 7.5 vs. 8.8 months, P < 0.001).
• An increased mortality was associated with Hyperglycemia in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio = 1.38; P = 0.003).

Thus, hyperglycemia predicted the overall survival in patients with advanced pancreatic disease. 

Further reading: Zhu, X., Xu, H., Xiao, Z. et al. Hyperglycemia predicts adverse prognosis in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Endocrine (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-022-03196-4