Evidence mapPaperPMID 40672103Full record

ArticleJournal of gastrointestinal oncology2025

Genetically proxied risk and protective factors for pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization studies.

Fada Luo, Weicheng Mou, Yong Zeng, Xingwei Ouyang, Richard J Bold, Somashekar G Krishna, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Li Zhang

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Article in Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Fada LuoDepartment of Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
Weicheng MouDepartment of Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
Yong ZengDepartment of Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
Xingwei OuyangDepartment of Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
Richard J BoldMayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Somashekar G KrishnaDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Atsushi YamaguchiDepartment of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure, Japan.
Li ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, the Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Despite extensive observational evidence implicating lifestyle habits, metabolic factors, hormone levels, predisposing genetic conditions, medications, and other exposures, causal inference regarding pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk factors remain contentious due to residual confounding. This Mendelian randomization (MR) meta-analysis was employed to address unresolved etiological controversies and systematically investigate causal relationships between these modifiable factors and clinical outcomes. Methods: We conducted a systematic assessment and meta-analysis focusing on studies that employed MR methods to assess the correlation between impact factors and PDAC. We searched five databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid, and ultimately included 82 studies, with 292 independent findings. A meta-analysis was performed on 56 of these influencing factors. Results: Our study found that several factors may be risk factors for PDAC, including body mass index (BMI) [odds ratio (OR): 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.36], gut microbiota (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.05-1.49), diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13), body size (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.48-2.00), fasting insulin (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.61-3.09), hip circumference (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.11-1.61) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04-1.34). Conversely, potential protective factors against PDAC included lycopene intake (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.99) and cathepsin E levels (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99), and these factors should be further investigated. Conclusions: This meta-analysis of MR studies identified several risk and protective factors for pancreatic cancer, with most showing low heterogeneity. However, these findings represent associations, not causality. These findings may inform clinical risk assessment while awaiting further validation. The study highlights the need for continued research focusing on diverse populations, mechanistic studies, longitudinal investigations, and translational work to advance understanding and develop effective strategies for pancreatic cancer prevention and treatment.

Indexed as

Mendelian randomization (MR)meta-analysisPancreatic neoplasmsrisk factorssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40672103
PMCPMC12261061

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.