Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Causes of Cancer of the pancreas

Very little is known about the causes of pancreatic cancer.  It mainly affects people between the ages of 60 and 80 and is rare in people below the age of 50. It is slightly more common in men than women.

Heavy smoking doubles the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.  There is also some evidence that a diet high in fat and protein, but low in fruit and vegetables may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. It is also thought that cancer of the pancreas may be linked to environmental factors such as exposure to petroleum products.

Take the 5-a-day fruit and veg test

Having a condition called chronic pancreatitis, may increase the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas. This condition is usually caused by drinking a lot of alcohol over a long period of time. People with diabetes may also have a slightly increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

There have been some studies done that suggest using aspirin over a long period of time can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer in women (1).

Occasionally, but not commonly, pancreatic cancer is found to run in families. There may be some genetic link in up to 1 in 10 cases of pancreatic cancer, however it is not clear which genes are involved so a genetic test is not yet available.

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