Any substance or condition that increases cancer risk is referred to as a risk factor.
The most important risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer is smoking tobacco. However, most cancers are the result of many risk factors.
*Risk factors are generally listed in order from most significant to least significant. In most cases, it is impossible to rank the relative significance of individual risk factors with absolute certainty.
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. It usually occurs in people over the age of 65 years. The average age at diagnosis for pancreatic cancer is 72 years.
The following factors are known to increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Tobacco
Smoking tobacco, particularly cigarettes, plays a role in the development of pancreatic cancers.
- Tobacco smoke contains many chemicals that can cause cancer. Scientists think that these chemicals enter the blood and damage the pancreas.
- It is estimated that 20%–30% of pancreatic cancers are related to smoking tobacco.
- The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and the number of years a person smokes.
- The risk decreases when a person quits smoking. After quitting, the longer a person goes without smoking, the less the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Studies have also shown that using smokeless tobacco products increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
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Obesity
Studies show that people with a higher body mass index (BMI) are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer. BMI is a measure that relates body weight to height (calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared).
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Diabetes
Pancreatic cancer is more common in people with diabetes, although the exact reason for this association is not known.
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Genetic predisposition
Genetic predisposition is an inherited increase in risk for developing a specific disease or disorder. The following genetic factors play a small but important role in pancreatic cancer risk.
Familial pancreatic cancer
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is higher if immediate family members (father, mother, brother or sister) have had the disease. A hereditary form of pancreatitis increases the risk of pancreatic cancer in affected family members. There is evidence that one or more genes are involved in familial pancreatic cancer, but researchers have not yet identified a specific gene.
BRCA2 mutation
People with mutations on the BRCA2 gene are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Inherited syndromes
Several genetic syndromes are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, including:
- familial atypical multiple mole melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome
- FAMMM also called dysplastic nevus syndrome.
- It is an inherited condition characterized by family members diagnosed with melanoma and a family history of large numbers of atypical moles of different sizes.
- FAMMM is caused by a mutation of p16 gene.
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
- This inherited syndrome is characterized by very large numbers of polyps in the gastrointestinal tract. It also causes pigmentation of the lips and around and inside the mouth.
- hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)
- HNPCC is also known as Lynch syndrome.
- It is a rare inherited syndrome that may lead to colorectal cancer.
- People with type B Lynch syndrome are at increased risk of developing certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer.
- hereditary pancreatitis
- This rare genetic condition is characterized by the development of severe pancreatitis at a young age (often before the age of 10 years).
- People with this condition have about a 40% risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
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Occupational exposure to chemicals
Studies have reported an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer with long-term (more than 10 years) occupational exposure to some chemicals. These chemicals include:
- petroleum compounds and solvents
- certain pesticides
- some dyes
- chemicals for metal refining
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Possible risk factors
The following factors have some association with pancreatic cancer, but there is not enough evidence to say they are known risk factors. Further study is needed to clarify the role of these factors for pancreatic cancer.
- chronic pancreatitis – Increasing evidence supports the theory that people with chronic pancreatitis (a long-term inflammation of the pancreas) are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer. However, most people with this condition many never develop pancreatic cancer.
- lack of physical activity – Some studies have shown that a low level of physical activity increased the risk of pancreatic cancer.
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Factors not associated with pancreatic cancer
The following is not considered to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer because there is enough evidence showing that there is no association:
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Unknown risk factors
The following are factors for which there is not enough evidence or the evidence is inconclusive. In other words, it can't be determined for sure whether these risk factors are or are not associated with pancreatic cancer.
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See a list of list of questions to ask your doctor about risks.