Allergies May Protect Against Pancreatic Cancer

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Hay Fever on December 31, 2007

Cursing your allergies? Don't. A new study involving allergy patients in Canada indicates that a history of allergies or hay fever may protect you from developing pancreatic cancer.

A total of 276 pancreatic cancer cases and 378 controls were included in the study.

The investigators found that a history of allergies or hay fever was associated with a significant 57 percent reduction in the risk of pancreatic cancer.

The reduction in risk was stronger in men than in women. There was no association between history of asthma and the risk of cancer of the pancreas.

The researchers still haven't determined the exact connection between hay fever and pancreatic cancer. More extensive studies on larger populations need to be conducted to confirm these findings.