Gallstones, cholecystectomy, and the risk for developing pancreatic cancer

We examined the relation between gallstones, cholecystectomy, and the development of pancreatic cancer in the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Among 104856 women and 48 928 men without cancer at baseline, we documented 349 cases of pancreatic cancer during up to 16 years of follow-up. Participants were classified according to a history of gallstones or cholecystectomy. The age-adjusted relative risk of pancreatic cancer following cholecystectomy or diagnosis of gallstones was 1.31 (95% Cl, 0.93-1.83). However, adjustment for other pancreatic cancer risk factors attenuated the association (RR=1.11, 95% Cl, 0.78-1.56); this risk did not increase with increasing time following cholecystectomy or gallstones. Gallstones or cholecystectomy do not appear to be significant risk factors for pancreatic cancer.