Are adults over 50 years of age with newly diagnosed diabetes at increased risk of pancreatic cancer? A study has found a significantly increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer within three years in these patients. The study was published in Gastroenterology.

Researchers followed 18,838 adults with glycemically defined new-onset diabetes (GNOD) and identified 82 cases of pancreatic cancer during a median follow-up of 2.3 years.

The overall race-adjusted 3-year incidence was 0.62%, with the highest rates observed in non-Hispanic White patients (0.84%), followed by Hispanic (0.40%), African American (0.37%), and Asian/Pacific Islander patients (0.22%).

On average, diabetes appeared around eight months before cancer diagnosis, with nearly two-thirds of cases detected within the first year.