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.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dmrr.3844

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About the Journal
Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews is an endocrinology and metabolism journal read by clinicians and researchers. Covering all areas of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism and obesity, the journal welcomes clinical studies, basical and translational research, and reviews of historical progress, controversial issues and prominent opinions.

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