Obesity and diabetes mellitus - pandemic diseases as risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer Obesity and diabetes mellitus - pandemic diseases as risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus and obesity are among the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, which are the most common cause of mortality among adults in the Czech Republic. Cancer diseases placed second.
An increased frequency of cancers was observed in patients with diabetes mellitus and obese subjects. Both units represent an independent risk factor for neoplasia.
In the Czech Republic and in the world there is an increasing number of patients with obesity and diabetes, as well as with pancreatic cancer. Although the exact mechanisms of neoplastic transformation are not fully known, there already appears information about the key regulatory steps which in obese result in insulin resistance, glucose metabolism disorders, topical mild chronic inflammation in adipose tissue, formation of oxygen free radicals and alltogether in cell proliferation.
The severity and poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer is the reason for an effort to influence these intermediate steps.