Pancreatic cancer starts in the pancreatic tissue. The pancreas can have both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. A common form of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, wherein the ducts that carry the enzymes out of the pancreas get affected.

Pancreatic cancer is the most curable in its early stages, but is rarely detected then. It is often detected when it spreads to other organs and starts causing symptoms. The risk factors for pancreatic cancer influence how it will develop in the body. Some of the common ones are listed below:

1. Age and gender

Pancreatic cancer can affect people of all ages, but its risk advances with age, affecting people who are over 45. This cancer is also seen in more men than women.

2. Substance use

Smokers have double or even triple the risk of developing pancreatic cancer than people who do not smoke. Heavy or chronic intake of alcohol causes repeated inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which increases the risk for pancreatic cancer.

3. Obesity

Being obese or overwight increases the risk for pancreatic cancer. People who are not overweight, but have a lot of belly fat are also at a higher risk.

4. Diabetes

A person who has had diabetes for years is at a higher risk for pancreatic cancer. If there is a sudden onset of diabetes in adulthood, then it could, in rare cases, be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.

5. Family history
As with many cancers, some people are genetically predisposed to pancreatic cancer. Having two or more first-degree relatives with the cancer increases one’s risk for pancreatic cancer. A person diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is advised to undergo genetic testing for other forms of pancreatic cancer.

6. Inherited diseases

Certain diseases that are inherited increase the risk for pancreatic cancer. They are hereditary pancreatitis (HP), familial malignant melanoma and pancreatic cancer (FAMM), Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), Lynch syndrome, and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

7. Chronic pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is characterized by the painful inflammation of the pancreas. When it is chronic, it increases one’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

8. Chemicals

Exposure to pesticides, certain dyes, benzene, petrochemicals, and chemicals used in drycleaning or metalworking may increase the risk for pancreatic cancer.

9. Bacteria

Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori is a bacterium that causes inflammation and ulcers of the stomach. It greatly increases the risk of developing stomach cancer, and to a lesser extent, pancreatic cancer.

10. Hepatitis B

The hepatitis virus affects the liver, but there is a link between patients who have had hepatitis infections and pancreatic cancer. The mechanism of this link has not yet been fully understood, but it is known to exist.

11. Liver cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis occurs due to damage caused to the liver tissue. It is most often caused by regular and heavy consumption of alcohol. It can also be caused by diseases and infections that affect the liver, such as hepatitis and hemochromatosis.