The relationship of blood glucose with early morbidity, mortality, and other prognostic factors in pancreatic cancer

Authors

  • Bahri Ozer Department of General Surgery, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Ferdi Bolat Department of General Surgery, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Fatih Keyif Department of General Surgery, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Songul Peltek Ozer Department of Pathology, Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Mustafa Sit Department of General Surgery, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Ibrahim Karagoz Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey
  • Gulali Aktas Department of Internal Medicine, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7306-5233

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63623/k3v38d32

Keywords:

Pancreatic cancer, Blood glucose, Diabetes, Hospitalization, Mortality

Abstract

Aim: Pancreatic cancer remains a major global health issue due to its high morbidity rate and aggressive course. The relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer exhibits a bidirectional nature. Elevated blood glucose levels and insulin resistance may create a favorable microenvironment for cancer development. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative blood glucose levels and morbidity, mortality, and prognostic factors in pancreatic cancer.

Methods: Patients were classified into two groups: those with preoperative elevated glucose levels (>126 mg/dL) and those with normal glucose levels (≤125 mg/dL). The parameters analyzed included gender, age, postoperative drain amylase levels, length of hospital stay, morbidity, mortality, tumor size, and the number of metastatic lymph nodes.

Results: A total of 86 patients were included in the study. In predicting early postoperative mortality, age, tumor size, lymph node count, and preoperative glucose levels were not statistically significant (p=0.16, 0.84, 0.81, 0.43, respectively). However, morbidity, drain amylase levels, and hospital stay duration were statistically significant (p=0.001, 0.005, 0.004, respectively). ROC analysis revealed that hospital stay duration of more than 11 days had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 58% for predicting mortality.

Conclusion: Present study showed that hospitalization duration and postoperative amylase levels were strongly associated with patient outcome in subjects with pancreas cancer. Proactive identification and management of these factors are essential to enhance postoperative outcomes and reduce mortality risks in this patient population.

Author Biography

  • Gulali Aktas, Department of Internal Medicine, Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey

    Gulali is a professor in Internal Medicine Department of Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital in Bolu, Turkey. He received his MD and PHD degrees at Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and 2008, respectively. After working in Lice State Hospital as a consultant in internal medicine for 3 years, he started his academic life at Abant Izzet Baysal University in 2011 as an assistant professor. He deserved the title of associate professor in 2015 after accomplishment of significant research and by meeting the necessary conditions by the local regulations. He is working in the same institution as a professor currently. Gulali Aktas is an educator who devotes himself to the education of medical students and internal medicine residents, as well as an academic researcher who is involved in many original researches. He has been the thesis advisor of 6 PhD students to date and has around 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.  Gulali has published more than 200 articles in international peer reviewed journals. Additionally, he has written 12 chapters in medical books. Believing in the importance of peer review in academic publishing, he reviewed more than 1200 papers in various prestigious journals. Inflammation, metabolic syndrome and nutrition are the main focuses of his current research. Type 2 diabetes and related conditions are also within his research interests. He has been nominated for Elsevier’s Osmosis Raise The Line Faculty Award in 2022. Gulali Aktas has been listed in Top 2% Scientists list which based on Scopus data for last three years. Additionally, one of his articles was assigned as the most cited publication in a journal that published by Wiley & Sons. He volunteer as editorial board member in different and prestigious medical journals. Gulali believes that exercise is an important promoter of health and he is interested in hiking.

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2025-06-18

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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025)

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