Low levels of IGFBP-1 protein may indicate pancreatic cancer risk

Filed under: Pancreatic Cancer

A protein that decreases due to obesity and lack of exercise may also indicate pancreatic cancer risk, according to researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and collaborators.

The researchers found that people with the lowest levels of a protein called IGFBP-1 were twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as those with higher levels.

According to the study's lead author, Brian Wolpin, MD, the levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) are changed by obesity and lack of exercise. There is evidence that these hormones may stimulate the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. When IGF binds to IGFBP-1 and other proteins, there may be less IGF to promote the growth of the pancreatic cancer cells.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]