Can weight-loss surgery help prevent pancreatic cancer in people with obesity?

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for various malignancies, including pancreatic cancer, which has a high death rate. A new analysis in Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews suggests that weight-loss surgery-also called metabolic-bariatric surgery-may lower the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in people with obesity, especially in those who also have type 2 diabetes.

In the systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators identified 12 relevant studies that explored the effects of metabolic-bariatric surgery on pancreatic cancer incidence, with a total of 3,711,243 adults with obesity. Surgery was associated with a 44% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk among individuals with obesity but without type 2 diabetes and a 79% risk reduction in those with both obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“Metabolic-bariatric surgery not only has beneficial effects on obesity and type 2 diabetes but also may play a crucial role in reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer in these individuals,” said corresponding author Angeliki M. Angelidi, PhD, of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. “These findings underscore the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and understand the full spectrum of health benefits of metabolic-bariatric surgery beyond weight loss.”

Reference:

Metabolic–Bariatric Surgery Reduces Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Over 3.7 Million Adults, Independent of Type 2 Diabetes Status, Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews (2024). DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.3844.