One of the doctors behind the Sandler-Kenner Foundation talks about the potential breakthrough.

Irving, TX — As pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of this disease in the United States, researchers are embarking on an exciting area of study that may someday enable clinicians to detect this condition sooner in diabetic patients. Although still very much under review, the discovery of pancreatic cancer-related biomarkers in new onset diabetics may hold the key for lifesaving interventions for some.

“Certain biomarkers have been isolated in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics that may indicate the possible presence of pancreatic cancer, as well,” says Dr. Gregory Echt, one of the physicians behind the Sandler-Kenner Foundation and the founder and lead surgeon at Choice Cancer Care. “Since the two conditions sometimes go hand in hand, a screening tool to detect these biomarkers may pave the way for earlier intervention in some pancreatic cancer cases.”

Pancreatic cancer is on track to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United states by the year 2030. The morbidity rate associated with this disease is promoted, in part, by difficulty involved in achieving an early diagnosis. With no routine screening tool available and few symptoms, if any, at onset the disease often goes undetected until it reaches more advanced stages.

“By potentially offering a way to detect this disease in its earliest stages in some patients, a biomarker-based screening tool may open the door for doctors to save lives,” says Dr. Echt. “This is very encouraging news, especially since such a screen may help those in one of the highest risk population groups.”

How long it might be before a biomarker-based screening tool for diabetics might be available remains unclear. Researchers are currently working on the prospect.

Pancreatic cancer strikes an estimated 53,000 men and women in the United States each year. The disease claims about 41,000 lives. With a five-year survival rate lower than 10 percent, the push is on for better diagnostic tools and curative treatments.

To find out more about pancreatic cancer and steps that are being taken to fight it, visit the Sandler-Kenner Foundation online. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping advance research that may lead to a cure for pancreatic cancer.

About The Sandler-Kenner Foundation
The Sandler-Kenner Foundation, established in 2007 as the Las Colinas Cancer Center Foundation, was renamed in early 2011 in the memory of Michael Sandler and Peter Kenner, both of whom passed away from pancreatic cancer, a lethal disease that is difficult to diagnose until it has reached an advanced stage.