What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a dangerous form of cancer that forms in the pancreas. Because pancreatic cancer usually does not present any obvious symptoms until the condition is advanced, treatment is often difficult. However, there are several known causes and risk factors associated with the condition.

Age

• Pancreatic cancer is much more common in people above 60, with the majority of patients being diagnosed in their 70s or 80s.

Ethnicity

• People of African descent are statistically more likely to have pancreatic cancer.

Smoking

• Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to get pancreatic cancer.

Weight and diet

• Overweight individuals are more likely than people of a normal weight to have pancreatic cancer. Current research into cancer also indicates that a diet high in red meat may also be a contributing factor.

Genetics

• People with a history of pancreatic cancer are more likely to get the condition. However, 90 to 95 percent of people with a family history of pancreatic cancer never get it.

Pancreatitis

• Chronic sufferers of pancreatitis, which is the inflammation of the pancreas, are more at risk of pancreatic cancer. People with a family history of pancreatitis are also at risk.