I n Canada, about 2,900 people a year will be found to have cancer of the pancreas.
Pancreatic cancer occurs almost equally in both men and women.
T he exact cause of pancreatic cancer is not known. We do know that most cases of cancer occur after the age of fifty. Studies have shown that cigarette smoking can increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. A lthough several dietary habits like eating high fat foods, drinking coffee and alcohol are felt to play a role in the development of pancreatic cancer, no proof has yet been found. B ecause there are no definite risk factors for pancreatic cancer, it is not possible to know how to prevent it.