Are you one of the many people that enjoy drinking beer?

There may be some new information causing you to rethink that usage. Recent research has found that heavy drinking of one of the most popular alcoholic drinks could lead to the advancement of pancreatic cancer, the fourth deadliest cancer in the U.S. for both men and women.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the least curable cancers in the United States. The cancer seems to elude doctors from early diagnosis, and late diagnosis results in a grim outlook for life. Patients with pancreatic cancer most often do not exhibit any signs of the disease until an advanced stage when the cancer has already spread throughout the body. Very few diagnosed cases are found to be operable. Even if a patient’s case is found to be operable they are usually only given a five-year survival rate that most don’t reach because of reoccurrence. The stubborn disease seems to survive all conventional treatment and despite intense research in this regard the prognosis for Pancreatic Cancer patients are very dim.

Research on pancreatic cancer has shown many risk factors; they include age, race, gender, genetics, exercise practices, smoking, drinking and eating habits. Most cases do not occur until after age 65 and age is the strongest factor of the cancer.

Research continues in an effort to protect patients from the disease and increase the survival rates. Though the disease usually escapes early diagnosis, some recent research has found that combining a blood test, that detects a tumor marker, and an endoscopic ultrasound can help to diagnosis the condition earlier. Ultrasounds used during diagnosis increased survival time ranging from five to nine months, explained Dr. Richard Zubarik with Fletcher Allen Health Care.

A recent study was presented that found heavy drinker’s age of developing pancreatic cancer (those who drink more than three drinks daily) was 10 years lower than those who did not drink. Though other alcoholic beverages, such as, wine and liquor also lowered the age of Pancreatic cancer patients it did not lower the age as much as beer, explained Dr. Michelle A. Anderson, an assistant professor with the University of Michigan. Heavy alcohol consumption also induced chronic inflammatory changes that have been linked to cancer. The research was conducted on approximately 500 men and women, who were patients from The Pancreatic Cancer Collaborative Registry, consisting of an international registry, evaluating whether they smoked and/or drank, and their consumption amount if they drank, and what they drank.

One of the bad habits of many adults, smoking, had already been found to effect the age of pancreatic patients. Researchers have found through the years that smoking effected the age of patients as it related to their smoking amounts. However, researchers have not found that drinking and smoking together would raise chances more than one alone.

The pancreas produces very important hormones such as insulin, and helps to balance blood sugar. The organ is very important to the body’s functions. So no, you can’t just tell doctors to take it out and avoid the cancer. Therefore, you may want to rethink your exercise, eating, and bad habits (smoking and excessive drinking), and you may want to discuss your family’s history and any concerns with your doctor.

Source: HealthNews.com