Incidence and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Patients with a New Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis

Dig Dis Sci. 2022 Feb;67(2):708-715. doi: 10.1007/s10620-021-06886-7. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Abstract

Background: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); nevertheless, the true incidence of PDAC in CP patients in the United States remains unclear.

Aims: We evaluated the risk of developing PDAC two or more years after a new diagnosis of CP.

Methods: Retrospective study of veterans from September 1999 to October 2015. A three-year washout period was applied to exclude patients with preexisting CP and PDAC. PDAC risk was evaluated in patients with new-diagnosis CP and compared with controls without CP using Cox-proportional hazards model. CP, PDAC, and other covariates were extracted using ICD-9 codes.

Results: After exclusions, we identified 7,883,893 patients [new-diagnosis CP - 21,765 (0.28%)]. PDAC was diagnosed in 226 (1.04%) patients in the CP group and 15,858 (0.20%) patients in the control group (p < 0.001). CP patients had a significantly higher PDAC risk compared to controls > 2 years [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 4.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.74-4.89, p < 0.001], 5 years (adjusted HR 3.32, 95% CI 2.75-4.00, p < 0.001) and 10 years of follow-up (adjusted HR 3.14, 95% CI 1.99-4.93, p < 0.001), respectively. By multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, p = 0.03), current smoker (odds ratio 1.67, 95% CI 1.02-2.74, p = 0.042), current smoker + alcoholic (odds ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.41-3.52, p < 0.001), and diabetes (odds ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.14-1.99, p = 0.004) were the independent risk factors for PDAC.

Conclusion: Our data show that after controlling for etiology of CP and other cofactors, the risk of PDAC increased in CP patients after two years of follow-up, and risk was consistent and sustained beyond 5 years and 10 years of follow-up.

Keywords: Chronic pancreatitis; Inflammation; Pancreatic cancer risk; Pancreatic carcinogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Alcoholism / epidemiology
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / epidemiology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Gallstones / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / epidemiology*
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / diagnosis
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / epidemiology*
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Risk Factors
  • Smoking / epidemiology