Epidemiologic and etiologic factors of pancreatic cancer

The global burden of pancreatic cancer amounts to nearly one-quarter of a million new cases each year; unfortunately, almost all of these patients will quickly succumb to the disease. In the United States about 28,000 patients contract this cancer annually and because of the high mortality rate, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from malignancy. Smokers, African-Americans, males, and persons with pre-existing benign diseases such as pancreatitis and perhaps diabetes, have an increased risk of developing this cancer.