Risk factors for pancreatic cancer

AbstractIn the United States, the cumulative mortality or lifetime risk of dying from pancreatic cancer is about 1–2%, but although this form of cancer is rare, nearly all patients die from the disease within one to two years. Because of its lethality, pancreatic cancer now ranks fourth as a cause of death from cancer. There are country‐specific differences in rates, perhaps explained by differences in life‐style factors or diet. African‐Americans in the USA have rates that are about 50% higher than Caucasians. Smoking is the major known risk factor for this cancer, explaining 20–30% of all cases. Another 5–10% of causes are caused by germline mutations, with mutations in BRCA2 being the most frequent. Two background diseases increase the risk of pancreatic cancer—pancreatitis, and diabetes. Major challenges presented by this cancer are: 1) determination of the molecular pathways that make this cancer so aggressive; 2) development of new modalities, perhaps based on proteomics, to enhance early detection. J. Cell. Biochem. 95: 649–656, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.