Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled, such as smoking, and some cannot be controlled, such as age and family history. Although risk factors can influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. However, knowing your risk factors and communicating them to your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health-care choices.

The following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer:

Age. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most pancreatic cancers occur in people older than 60.

Gender. More men are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer than women.

Race. Black people are more likely than Asians, Hispanics, or white people to develop pancreatic cancer.

Smoking. Smokers are two to three times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than nonsmokers.

Obesity and diet. Regularly eating foods high in fat is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Research has shown that obese and even overweight men and women have a higher risk of dying from pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes. The sudden onset of type 2 diabetes can be an early symptom of pancreatic cancer. Whether diabetes itself is a risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer has been a topic of great interest for many years with large studies reaching different conclusions. It is now believed that long-term diabetes does increase an individual’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer to a modest degree.

Family history. A person’s chance of developing this cancer increases three-fold if a first-degree relative (mother, father, sister, or brother) developed pancreatic cancer. That risk increases even further if more first-degree relatives are affected. Also, melanoma that runs in families and certain hereditary forms of colon, breast, and ovarian cancers are associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Read more about the genetics of pancreatic cancer.

Chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, a painful disease of the pancreas. Some research suggests that having chronic pancreatitis may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Hereditary pancreatitis. For more information on this condition, visit the Guide to Hereditary Pancreatitis.

Chemicals. Exposure to certain chemicals (such as pesticides, benzene, certain dyes, and petrochemicals) may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis viruses are viruses that infect the liver. One recent study has shown that evidence of a previous hepatitis B infection was twice as common in people with pancreatic cancer than in people without the cancer. More research is needed to evaluate the nature of this link and to confirm the results of this study.