Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) have found the first direct link between obesity and cancer of the pancreas.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms in humans. Like other cancers, early diagnosis improves long-term survival rates, but this particularly aggressive form does not usually display any early warning signs.

According to the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic malignancy, is the fourth leading cancer killer in the US.

The JCCC study states that the overall 5-year survival rates are just 3-5%, with an average survival rate after diagnosis of only 4-6 months.

Current treatment options are limited in both number and effectiveness, so research is concentrating on prevention strategies to make headway before the disease reaches an advanced stage.

Scientists know that lesions called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs) are precursors to pancreatic cancer and can be treated as markers, even at a precancerous stage. Unfortunately, these are microscopic, and only detectable by biopsy.