| Pancreatic cancer is currently the fifth most | | | | cancer, males are around 10% more likely to |
| common form of cancer in the United States and | | | | develop cancer of the pancreas than females. |
| is diagnosed in around 40,000 Americans each | | | | Race: African Americans are 50% more likely to |
| year. In most cases the disease has an | | | | develop pancreatic cancer in their lifetimes than |
| extremely poor survival outcome. Just 1 in 20 | | | | Caucasians. Native Hawaiians and New Zealand |
| people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will still be | | | | Maoris also have relatively high rates of the |
| alive after five years. | | | | disease. |
| The main reason pancreatic cancer has such a | | | | Obesity: People who are overweight, and in |
| poor survival outcome is that the majority of | | | | particular those who carry a large amount of |
| cases are diagnosed when the cancer is at a very | | | | abdominal fat are at a greater risk of developing |
| late stage. This is due to the non-specific | | | | pancreatic cancer. |
| symptoms associated with the disease in its early | | | | Diabetes: People who have been diagnosed with |
| stages. Early warning signs include pain in the | | | | diabetes are slightly more likely to develop cancer |
| upper abdomen, jaundice, loss of appetite, and | | | | of the pancreas. |
| weight loss. | | | | Family History: It is thought that around 10% of |
| There are several risk factors that are known to | | | | pancreatic cancers are inherited. A first degree |
| affect an individual's probability of developing | | | | relative who has been diagnosed with pancreatic |
| pancreatic cancer. While some of these cannot be | | | | cancer increases your chances of developing the |
| changed, several can be influenced by sensible | | | | disease three-fold. |
| lifestyle and diet modifications. | | | | Smoking: Heavy smokers who have been |
| Here are eleven of the more established risk | | | | smoking for at least twenty years are at almost |
| factors for pancreatic cancer. | | | | twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer as |
| Age: The incidence of pancreatic cancer increases | | | | non-smokers. Former smokers, light smokers, and |
| dramatically with age. The disease is extremely | | | | tobacco chewers are also at a greater risk. |
| rare in people under the age of 50 with under 5% | | | | Diet: A fatty diet, a diet high in red or processed |
| of all cases being diagnosed in this age bracket. | | | | meat, a high cholesterol diet, and a diet lacking in |
| Three-quarters of all cases occur in people over | | | | fresh fruit and vegetables are all thought to be |
| the age of sixty. | | | | linked to an increased risk of developing pancreatic |
| Gender: As is the case with most other forms of | | | | cancer. |