Sulfonylureas and insulin linked to increased risk for pancreatic cancer

Bodmer M. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012;doi:10.1038/ajg.2011.483.

Issue: March 25, 2012

Use of sulfonylureas and insulin was associated with an increased risk for pancreatic cancer, whereas metformin use was associated with a decreased risk for pancreatic cancer in women, according to study results published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

To determine the association between antidiabetic drug use, diabetes and the risk for pancreatic cancer, researchers conducted a case-control study of drug prescription, diagnostic, hospitalization and fatality information collected by the British General Practice Research Database (GPRD) between 1995 and 2009.

Each of the included patients had a first-time diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and six controls per case were matched on age, gender, calendar time, general practice and number of years of active history in the GPRD before the index date. Of particular importance were demographic data such as smoking, diabetes duration, alcohol use and BMI.

The study included 2,763 patients aged younger than 90 years diagnosed with pancreatic cancer vs. 16,600 participants without pancreatic cancer. Short-term use of metformin or sulfonylureas and/or insulin exhibited no significant impact on pancreatic cancer risk, according to study results. However, long-term use of antidiabetic medications demonstrated notable effects on pancreatic cancer risk in the diabetic demographic.

The use of sulfonylureas (>30 prescriptions; adjusted OR=1.9; 95% CI, 1.32-2.74) and insulin (>40 prescriptions; adjusted OR=2.29; 95% CI, 1.34-3.92) were connected with a heightened risk for pancreatic cancer. Although long-term use (>30 prescriptions) of metformin was not associated with a significant risk for pancreatic cancer (OR=0.87; 95% CI, 0.59-1.29), long-term use of metformin was linked to a decreased risk in women (OR=0.43, 95% CI, 0.23-0.8).

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.