Can diabetes be a sign of pancreatic cancer?

Not common: Often pancreatic cancer does not have symptoms until it is advanced and when the pancreas is damaged enough it can lead to diabetes but diabetes is common and usually is not a sign of pancreatic cancer.

Yes: Some pancreatic cancers produce a hormone called amylin that will start up diabetes. There are perhaps other ways in which an early pancreatic cancer can cause diabetes to appear out of nowhere. A new diabetic whose clincal picture isn't typical might be offered an ultrasound on the off-chance of a tumor there.