Cancer of the pancreas is more common in men than in women. Men are more likely to smoke than women. The likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age, with most people over the age of 60 when the cancer is diagnosed. Although this is not usually a factor, sometimes pancreatic cancer can run in families. There may be a genetic link in up to 1 in 10 case of pancreatic cancer.

Cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely than nonsmokers to develop pancreatic cancer, and about three out of every 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are found to be linked to smoking. Read the rest of this entry →