The lancet oncology
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2009
ReviewNew-onset diabetes: a potential clue to the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis because cancer-specific symptoms occur only at an advanced stage. If the cancer is to be discovered early, screening will need to be done in asymptomatic individuals. Because the incidence of pancreatic cancer is low, screening for asymptomatic cancer in the general population is not feasible; therefore, screening will need to be restricted to people at high risk of this disease. ⋯ Recognition of new-onset diabetes as an early manifestation of pancreatic cancer could lead to the diagnosis of asymptomatic, early-stage pancreatic cancer. However, primary type-2 diabetes is common in the general population and pancreatic cancer is relatively uncommon, and the two forms of diabetes are clinically indistinguishable. The success of a strategy using new-onset hyperglycaemia and diabetes as a screening tool to identify people with a high likelihood of having asymptomatic pancreatic cancer will depend largely on our ability to differentiate pancreatic-cancer-associated diabetes from the more common type-2 diabetes by use of a (serological) biomarker.
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2009
ReviewEffects of comorbidity on screening and early diagnosis of cancer in elderly people.
There is currently little data showing that older adults can derive benefit from cancer screening. Advancing age is associated with an increasing prevalence of cancer and other chronic conditions, or comorbidity, and questions remain about the interactions between comorbidity and cancer screening in the elderly population. In this Review, we assess the available evidence on the effects of comorbidity on cancer screening in elderly individuals. ⋯ Decisions on cancer screening in older adults should be based on an appropriate assessment of each individual's health status and life expectancy, the benefits and harms of screening procedures, and patient preferences. We suggest that Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment might be a necessary step to identify candidates for cancer screening in the elderly population. Specific clinical trials should be done to improve the evidence and show the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cancer screening in older adults.