Metabolic-Bariatric Surgery Tied to Reduced Risk for Pancreatic Cancer in Those With Obesity

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with obesity, metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) is associated with a reduced risk for pancreatic cancer, especially among those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a review published online Oct. 9 in Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews.

Angeliki M. Angelidi, M.D., Ph.D., from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the impact of MBS on pancreatic cancer risk in individuals with obesity, based on T2D status. Data were included from 12 studies, with 3,711,243 participants.

The researchers found that for both the T2D group and the overall population, pancreatic cancer risk was lower in the MBS group than the non-MBS group (risk ratios, 0.46 and 0.21, respectively); after excluding studies with less than three years of follow-up, the findings were consistent. In individuals without T2D, a favorable impact was also seen (risk ratio, 0.56). When comparing types of MBS versus control, there was a significant difference for sleeve gastrectomy and a nonsignificant improvement for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

“Our study showed that ΜBS is associated with decreased pancreatic cancer risk in individuals with obesity irrespective of T2D,” the authors write. “Furthermore, our findings suggest that there may be a more pronounced effect of MBS in patients with T2D, highlighting the potential preventive advantages of MBS in this population.”

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