Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Program
Pancreatic Cancer
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Risk Factors
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 33,730 people in the United States will be found to have pancreatic cancer in 2006, and about 32,300 will die of the disease.
There are several known risk factors for pancreatic cancer, including age and gender. The disease is most common in persons over the age of 50 and is more common in men than women. A person has a greater chance of developing the pancreatic cancer if he or she:
- smokes (as many as 30 percent of pancreatic cancers are caused by smoking)
- eats a diet that is high in meats and fat
- is very overweight
- has diabetes
- has chronic inflammation of the pancreas
- has been exposed to certain chemicals and dyes
- has a family history of the disease
This page was last updated on: March 4, 2008.
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