Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC), a highly malignant cancer with a poor diagnosis, may be influenced by diet-related inflammation. This study examined the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores and the incidence and prognosis of PC in Korea. METHODS: A total of 55 patients with PC were matched with 280 healthy controls (HCs) by age and sex. We also analyzed the combined effects of DII scores and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels or smoking status on the risk of PC and performed a survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards method. RESULTS: The DII scores were higher in the patients with PC than those in HCs (odds ratio [OR] = 3.36, confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-9.73, p = 0.03), and the effect was larger in women (OR = 6.13, CI = 1.11-33.82, p = 0.04). A high DII score was jointly associated with FBG ≥ 126 mg/dL in raising PC risk [OR = 32.5, relative excess risk due to interaction/synergy (RERI/S) index = 24.2/4.34, p-interaction = 0.04], indicating a multiplicative interaction. A high DII score combined with ex/current smoker status increased PC risk through an additive interaction (RERI/S = 1.01/1.54, p-interaction = 0.76). However, DII scores did not influence disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of an anti-inflammatory diet, coupled with maintaining normal FBG levels and abstaining from smoking, may help reduce the risk of PC by mitigating pancreatic inflammation.