Adults with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are nearly six times more likely to have gallstone disease in the year prior to their cancer diagnosis, compared with the general population, according to a new US study.

Early symptoms of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may mimic those associated with gallstone disease and gallbladder inflammation, both of which have been demonstrated to be risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

What is unclear is how often these conditions occur before the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, explained Dr Teviah Sachs of Boston Medical Center during a media briefing ahead of Digestive Disease Week where he presented the research.

Dr Sachs and his colleagues analysed data from the SEER-Medicare linked database from 2008 to 2015.