Investigating the Mechanistic Relationship Between Hyperinsulinemia and Pancreatic Cancer
Anna Broderdorf
23/02/2026
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers globally with a five-year survival rate around 10%. This review investigates a lesser-known risk factor of PDAC, hyperinsulinemia, and explores recent scientific literature to establish a sequence of events and mechanisms connecting both conditions. The objective of this paper is not only to establish the observed connection between hyperinsulinemia and pancreatic cancer but to also assert the clearly defined mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer from hyperinsulinemia and explore them on a cellular level. The results of this review are presented in Figure 1 and found that hyperinsulinemia can promote the overproduction and early activation of pancreatic digestive enzymes, prompting acute pancreatitis which can become chronic. Chronic pancreatitis holds the pancreas in a perpetually inflamed state, promoting an environment that facilitates the development of PDAC. From these results, it can be concluded that the progression of hyperinsulinemia into PDAC can be defined by a mechanistic progression of degradation. Some terms used to research for this review include pancreatic inflammation, hyperinsulinemia, pancreatic digestive enzymes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The intent of this review is to inform of the risks associated with hyperinsulinemia in relation to PDAC and to advise clinicians to screen patients with hyperinsulinemia for pancreatic degeneration.