High insulin levels normally associated with diabetes may also be a risk indicator for pancreatic cancer, new research has suggested.
A team from the US National Cancer Institute said high levels of the hormone insulin in the body and increased resistance to it were found to be linked to an increased cancer risk.
The team say the findings suggest that a healthy lifestyle could help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) they said: "Lifestyle changes to decrease glucose and insulin concentrations through weight reduction, increasing physical activity, and diet such as decreasing saturated fat intake, and identification of other modifiable factors that may contribute to higher glucose and insulin concentrations could possibly impact pancreatic cancer development, as well as other cancer and chronic disease."
Type two diabetes occurs when the body is unable to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. It occurs when the body is no longer able to respond to insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels, or when insulin production is too low. It can normally controlled by a healthy diet and exercise.
However, in early stages of the condition, levels can be higher than normal.
The researchers say is if possible that insulin in higher-than-normal levels may somehow stimulate the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.
The team reviewed the records of over 29,000 male smokers from Finland, who were followed for 16 years.
They discovered those who had high levels of glucose and insulin and high insulin resistance levels, had a higher risk of pancreatic cancer.
The research confirms the findings of previous studies which suggest diabetes has a link to pancreatic cancer.
Previous studies have also shown smoking can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by up to two or three times.