Diabetes could be a warning sign of cancer, a new study suggests. 
The research found 50% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes the previous year. 
The study of nearly 1 million patients in Italy and Belgium was led by the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France, with findings presented at the European Cancer Congress in Amsterdam Among those who already had type 2 diabetes, a deterioration in the condition was linked to a seven-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with the cancer, which is one of the most deadly. 
Links been pancreatic cancer and diabetes have previously been found. 
The pancreas creates insulin, and type 2 diabetes is caused when the body does not use the hormone properly, creating insulin resistance. 
Experts said it was possible that the treatment for diabetes increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, or that the cancer caused the increased risk of diabetes. 
While diabetes is extremely common, with more than 3.5 million cases in the UK, pancreatic cancer remains relatively rare, with around 10,000 diagnoses annually. 
Researchers said more needs to be done to develop earlier tests for pancreatic cancer so that those at extra risk, such as those newly diagnosed with diabetes, could undergo screening.

Source: QNA