In a study from Cedars-Sinai Cancer, scientists confirmed that rates of pancreatic cancer are rising—and are rising faster among younger women, particularly Black women, than among men of the same age.
The pancreas, located just behind the stomach, secretes enzymes and hormones that help the body digest food and process sugars.
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers, accounting for 3% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. and is more common among men than women.
In this study, the team combed data from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NCPR) database, which represents approximately 64.5% of the U.S. population, on patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2001 and 2018.
The team found that rates of pancreatic cancer increased among both women and men.
Unexpectantly, rates among women under the age of 55 rose 2.4% higher than rates among men of the same age, while similarly increased rates were observed among older men and women.
Furthermore, rates among young Black women rose 2.23% higher than among young Black men.
One possible explanation put forward by the investigators pertains to the type and location of tumors.
The team found rates of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, an especially aggressive and deadly type of tumor situated at the head of the pancreas, appear to be increasing.
While the team said it is important for future studies to examine the cause of these trends, he stressed that at this point the increase is small and his findings shouldn’t be cause for alarm.
People with chronic abdominal pain are often concerned that they have pancreatic cancer, but Gaddam said that is usually a sign of another condition.
However, people experiencing unexplained weight loss or jaundice—a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes—should seek medical attention as these are potential signs of pancreatic cancer or another serious medical issue.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about new vaccine to prevent pancreatic cancer, and new cancer vaccines eliminate tumors and prevent cancer recurrence.
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The study was conducted by Srinivas Gaddam et al and published in the journal Gastroenterology.
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