Scientists pinpoint the link between alcohol and pancreatic cancer
The researchers from Miami in the US explained high alcohol consumption damages cells that produce enzymes vital for digestion.
This causes inflammation of the tissue, which damages the pancreas, an organ which releases enzymes and hormones vital for digestion and regulating blood sugar levels.
Over time, they explained, pre-cancerous lesions can develop, increasing the risk of full blown pancreatic cancer.
This is one of the deadliest forms of cancer which kills more than 9,000 Britons and 50,000 Americans each year.
But for it to progress into cancer there needs to be a mutation in a pre-cancerous gene responsible for cell growth called Ras.
The study found exposure to alcohol and a pro-inflammatory molecule caused symptoms similar to alcohol-introduced pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition.
They discovered this inflammation triggered the development of the precancerous lesions and later cancer.
The researchers also found that they could prevent the development of precancerous and cancerous lesions, even in the presence of alcohol.
This included by knocking out a special type of gene called CREB which plays an pro-inflammatory role.
On their findings, lead author, Dr Nagaraj Nagathihalli, Ph.D, a professor at the University of Miami said: 'We found that CREB is not just a mediator of inflammation.
'It is a molecular orchestrator that permanently converts acinar cells into precancerous cells.'
The study's co-author, Nipun Merchant, M.D. a surgeon in Miami added they believe their findings 'lays the groundwork' for future pancreatic cancer prevention.
The findings come amid a concerning rise in pancreatic cancer in young people—but there hasn't been a spike in deaths.
However, the deadly cancer has a survival rate of roughly 10 per cent in the first year after the diagnosis.
However, three years or more after the diagnosis chance of survival lowers to one per cent.
Less than one in 20 pancreatic cancer patients live to see the decade after their diagnosis, according to UK figures.
So, it is incredibly important to catch the illness in its early stages by recognising the easy to dismiss symptoms.
These include weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain and changes in bowl habits and jaundice—the yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Pancreatic cancer is an umbrella term for various tumours found on the 25cm tadpole shaped organ that helps with digestion and hormone regulation.
The most common type which is called adenocarcinoma accounts for roughly 90 per cent of cases.
This variant has little-to-no symptoms until patients start suddenly losing weight and turn yellow and at which point for the vast majority, it is too late.
It is for this reason the heartbreaking disease has been dubbed a 'silent killer'.
However, the surge in cases has come from another type of pancreatic cancer, called endocrine cancers.
These are slow growing tumours which take decades to emerge, and while they may turn cancerous, are mostly benign.
Some experts suspect that cancer isn't appearing more often in young people, but there are better tools today to diagnosis it.
They put the surge down to an increased use of high-tech medical scans like CT and MRIs which have grown more sensitive.
According to the National Health Service (NHS) those more likely to get cancer are over 65s and those who have chronic pancreatitis or a family history of the cancer.
Other risk factors include smoking, being overweight or obese, diabetes, eating red and processed meat as well as blood group.
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