MAJOR CANCERS AND RISK FACTORS – Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a common disease in most of the world’s populations, and the fatality rate of this malignancy is high, due to the failure to detect it early in most cases. The most common environmental factor associated with pancreatic cancer is smoking, and it is estimated that 25% of all pancreatic tumors are caused by smoking. In animals, pancreatic tumors can be induced with tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines or the administration of other N-nitroso compounds. Chronic pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus are also associated with pancreatic cancer, and persons with mutations in the BRCA2 gene have a 10-fold higher risk of the disease. As in the other cancers described so far, the major risk factors are inflammatory conditions and mutagenic agents.
