Pancreatic Cancer: UVA Resource

"What is pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in men and women in the US. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that there will be 33,730 new cases of pancreatic cancer in 2006, and 32,300 deaths are expected. Pancreatic cancer occurs when malignant cells grow out of control.
What is a risk factor?
A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors.
Although these factors can increase a person's risk, they do not necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk factors never develop the disease, while others develop disease and have no known risk factors.
But, knowing your risk factors to any disease can"