1. Breast Cancer Slideshow Pictures
2. Pancreatic Cancer Slideshow Pictures
3. Skin Cancer Slideshow Pictures

In this Article

• What is the pancreas?
• What is pancreatic cancer?
• What are the risk factors for pancreatic cancer?
• What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
• How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for pancreatic cancer? How is staging determined?
• Methods of treatment
• What are the side effects of pancreatic cancer treatment?
• What happens after treatment for pancreatic cancer?
• What support can pancreatic cancer patients seek?
• What does the future hold for pancreatic cancer?
• Pancreatic Cancer Index

Pancreatic cancer: Who's at risk?

No one knows the exact causes of pancreatic cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets pancreatic cancer and another does not. However, it is clear that this disease is not contagious. No one can "catch" cancer from another person.

Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop pancreatic cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following risk factors:

• Age -- The likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most pancreatic cancers occur in people over the age of 60.
• Smoking -- Cigarette smokers are two or three times more likely than nonsmokers to develop pancreatic cancer.
• Diabetes -- Pancreatic cancer occurs more often in people who have diabetes than in people who do not.
• Being male -- More men than women are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
• Being African American -- African Americans are more likely than Asians, Hispanics, or whites to get pancreatic cancer.
• Family history -- The risk for developing pancreatic cancer triples if a person's mother, father, sister, or brother had the disease. Also, a family history of colon or ovarian cancer increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Chronic pancreatitis -- Chronic pancreatitis is a painful condition of the pancreas. Some evidence suggests that chronic pancreatitis may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Other studies suggest that exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace or a diet high in fat may increase the chance of getting pancreatic cancer.

Most people with known risk factors do not get pancreatic cancer. On the other hand, many who do get the disease have none of these factors. People who think they may be at risk for pancreatic cancer should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.