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Terrifying link between booze and deadliest cancer discovered – are you drinking too much?
Some 10,500 people are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year, with more than half dying within three months of diagnosis
ACCELERATOR Terrifying link between booze and deadliest cancer discovered – are you drinking too much?
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SCIENTISTS may have discovered how booze can trigger pancreatic cancer - the deadliest cancer in the world.
They think alcohol causes inflammation in the pancreas, damaging cells and leading to precancerous lesions, which can, over time, turn into deadly tumors.
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Alcohol could be speeding up the deadly development of pancreatic cancer
Credit: Getty
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Scientists uncover how booze transforms healthy pancreas cells into cancerous ones
Credit: Getty
Some 10,500 people are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
And only about only around one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more.
More than half of people die within three months of diagnosis.
This is partly because it shows no symptoms until it has already spread to other parts of the body, making it incredibly hard to treat.
While surgery, chemotherapy and radiation can help extend life, they rarely offer a cure.
Previous research, cited by Cancer Research, has already established a link between alcohol and pancreatic cancer.
It shows that the risk is higher for people who consume three or more units of alcohol a day, compared to those who drink less.
To put it in perspective, three units is roughly the equivalent of one pint (568ml) of 5.2 per cent lager or one large glass (250ml) of 12 per cent wine.
The fresh study, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, sheds new light on how alcohol-induced inflammation accelerates the development of the deadly disease.
The researchers, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, found that alcohol activates a molecule called CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) in the pancreas.
Understand the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to beat it early
This molecule plays a key role in how alcohol-induced inflammation leads to cancer.
'CREB is not just a mediator of inflammation; it is a molecular orchestrator that permanently converts acinar cells into precancerous cells, which ultimately progress to high-grade neoplasia,' said Dr Nagaraj Nagathihalli, senior author of the study.
This means that CREB turns healthy pancreatic cells into cells that are more likely to become cancerous.
Once this process starts, it can't be undone, significantly increasing the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Dr Siddharth Mehra, the study's lead author, added, 'Our model serves as an important platform for understanding how chronic inflammation related to alcohol consumption accelerates the development of pancreatic cancer.'
The study suggests that blocking CREB could potentially stop the cancerous process in those who continue to booze.
'By targeting CREB, we may be able to prevent the development of pancreatic tumors, even in those who continue to drink,' Dr Mehra added.
NHS to search for pancreatic cancer cases
In June, the NHS launched a drive to catch pancreatic cancer before symptoms show.
GP teams will comb through patient records to identify anyone over 60 who may have signs of the cancer, such as a recent diagnosis of diabetes and sudden weight loss.
Figures suggest that around half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have been diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes recently.
The doctors will contact patients and offer them urgent blood tests and CT scans to either diagnose the cancer or rule it out.
Newly diagnosed diabetes patients often have similar symptoms to a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also affected by diabetes.
More than 300 GP practices in England will be involved in the three-year pilot, which is set to be fully operational by this autumn.
