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Am I at risk?
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The exact cause of pancreatic cancer remains unknown, but the disease seems to be associated with several risk factors. Most pancreatic cancers are diagnosed in older individuals, between the ages of 60 and 80 and rarely develop before age 50. It is almost twice as common in men as in women, although the gender gap appears to be narrowing, perhaps due to increased incidence of smoking among women.
The most common risk factors for pancreatic cancer are believed to include:
- Long-term smoking or tobacco use
- Chronic pancreatitis (long-term inflammation of the pancreas)
- Long-term history of diabetes
- Certain hereditary conditions
- Age (50 or older)
- Gender (more common in men)
- Diet high in meat and fats
- Ethnicity (for unknown reasons, African-Americans have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than other ethnic groups)
- It is not known for certain if there is a hereditary component to pancreatic cancer, but having first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) with pancreatic cancer may increase your risk.
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