We don’t fully understand exactly what causes pancreatic cancer, but we do know some risk factors. A risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting a disease.
A lot of the research about the risk factors for pancreatic cancer is unclear. Some studies may find that something increases the risk, while others may show that the same thing has no effect. And there may be other risk factors that researchers haven’t found yet.
It’s important to remember that having some of the risk factors does not mean you will definitely get pancreatic cancer. Remember too that people sometimes get pancreatic cancer even if they don’t have any of the risk factors.
There is good evidence that these things may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer:
Some evidence suggests that the following may also increase your risk:
We need more research to show if these definitely do increase your risk.
We don’t fully understand how to prevent pancreatic cancer, but these things may help reduce your risk.
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age, as it does for many other cancers. Nearly half (47%) of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK are aged over 75.
We know that smoking cigarettes and cigars can cause pancreatic cancer. Researchers think that smoking causes more than one in five pancreatic cancers (22%) in the UK. Your risk of pancreatic cancer increases the more you smoke, and the longer you have smoked for.
There’s no evidence at the moment about e-cigarettes (also known as vapes) and risk of pancreatic cancer.
Stopping smoking can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Around 20 years after stopping, your risk may return to what it would be if you had never smoked.
If you smoke, the NHS website has information to help you stop.
Research shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. Around one in eight pancreatic cancers (12%) in the UK may be linked to being overweight or obese.
If you are overweight and don’t have pancreatic cancer, the NHS website has information to help you lose weight.
Occasionally, pancreatic cancer may run in a family. This isn’t common, it’s less than one in ten pancreatic cancers (10%). It includes:
Read more about family history of pancreatic cancer, and check your risk.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The main symptom is tummy pain that may come and go but can last for hours or days. Some people feel or are sick during the pain. Over time, people may get pain more often and the pain may become worse. Over many years, pancreatitis can start to cause other symptoms that are linked to problems digesting food. These can be similar to some of the symptoms caused by pancreatic cancer.
Hereditary pancreatitis is a rare type of pancreatitis that runs in families. It usually starts in childhood. People with hereditary pancreatitis have a much higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The risk may be higher still for people who also smoke or have diabetes. The EUROPAC study is looking at hereditary pancreatitis to try to learn more about it.
Chronic pancreatitis is long term pancreatitis. People with chronic pancreatitis have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
The NHS website and the charity GUTS UK have more information about pancreatitis, including the symptoms.
Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level isn’t properly controlled. Blood sugar level is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.
People with diabetes may have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. But diabetes is common and most people with diabetes won’t get pancreatic cancer.
Diabetes can also be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Speak to your GP if you have been diagnosed with diabetes in the last 6-12 months and have any other symptoms of pancreatic cancer. You should also speak to your GP if you have diabetes that has become more difficult to control recently. They should refer you for an urgent scan if you have lost weight and have been diagnosed with diabetes recently
Some research has suggested that the following things may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer. But we need more research into them.
Some research shows that drinking a lot of alcohol may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer and of getting it at a younger age. The risk may be higher still for people who smoke as well as drink. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol doesn’t seem to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
It’s not clear exactly how much alcohol may increase the risk. Some studies suggest that drinking more than 15g or two units of alcohol a day may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer. Other studies have found that only much higher amounts of alcohol increase the risk. We need more research into drinking alcohol and the risk of pancreatic cancer.
The NHS website has more information about how many units of alcohol there are in different drinks. And it has recommended drinking limits to keep the risks to your health low. You can also find help with cutting down on alcohol.
Eating red meat may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, particularly meat cooked at high temperatures. Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork.
Eating processed meat may also increase your risk of pancreatic cancer. Processed meat is meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding chemical preservatives. It includes sausages, ham, bacon, salami and burgers.
Some research suggests that you may have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer if you have already had some other cancers. These include cancers of the breast, kidneys, mouth, larynx (voice box), uterus (womb), cervix (neck of the womb), ovaries, bladder, lungs, testicles, prostate, bowel and stomach.
This may be because some of the same things can cause these cancers, such as smoking. Or there could be a genetic link. Previous cancer treatment such as radiotherapy can also sometimes increase the risk of another cancer.
People with blood groups A, AB and B may have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. But people with blood group O may have a lower risk. We don’t know why blood group might affect your risk, but it may be linked to genes.
Some research suggests that people who have gallstones or have had their gallbladder removed (cholecystectomy) may have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
To read more about the risk factors of pancreatic cancer, download our fact sheet, Risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
If you would like the references to the sources used to write this information, email us at publications@pancreaticcancer.org.uk
We would like to thank the following people who reviewed our information on risk factors.
Published September 2024
Review date September 2027
