The Association of Diabetes-related Dietary Patterns with Pancreatic Cancer Risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

Background

Pancreatic cancer is relatively rare but remains one of the most lethal tumors. Identifying modifiable risk factors is a crucial step to reduce disease burden. Evidence suggests a potential role of type 2 diabetes mellitus in its pathogenesis.

Objective

To examine the association between dietary patterns related to diabetes and pancreatic cancer risk in a European population.

Methods

A total of 367,395 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study were included. After a median follow-up of 14.9 years, 926 incident cases were identified. The Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet (DRRD), the Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and the Empirical Dietary Index for Insulin Resistance (EDIR) were estimated from food frequency questionnaires at recruitment. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between dietary patterns and pancreatic cancer were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for relevant confounders.

Results

Adherence to DRRD showed no association with risk of pancreatic cancer (HRT3vsT1 = 0.94, 95% CI 0.79-1.12). Higher adherence to EDIH was associated with a borderline 19% increased pancreatic cancer risk (HRT3vsT1 = 1.19, 95% CI 0.99-1.44). No significant associations were observed in relation to EDIR. No heterogeneity was observed among the subgroups.

Conclusions

Higher adherence to a hyperinsulinemic dietary pattern may contribute to the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in our population. Further research is warranted to elucidate the potential role of dietary factors in cancer risk prevention.