Women who had gestational diabetes when pregnant may be at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a new study. The researchers looked at the health records of nearly 40,000 women who gave birth between 1964 and 1976 in Jerusalem. The study found that out of the 410 women who had gestational diabetes, 5 developed pancreatic cancer later in life. These finding are statistically significant according to the researchers, but further study needs to be done and the absolute risk still remains low.
Previous studies have shown that people with type-2 diabetes have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, but this is the first study to show a link between gestational diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
