EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AND RISK-FACTORS FOR PANCREATIC-CANCER

More than 27,000 people die from pancreatic cancer in this country each year. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth and fifth leading cause of cancer death in men and women, respectively, and it represents a major public health problem as well as a significant clinical challenge. Rates of pancreatic cancer in the United States increased threefold from 1920 to 1970 but leveled off and even declined slightly in recent years. In blacks, however, the pancreatic cancer mortality rate has increased markedly. Although much progress has been made in the last two decades in the identification of risk factors, much epidemiologic work is needed to identify and reduce putative exposures.