It produces hormones, such as insulin, and juices that digest food. Its hormones control how the body stores and uses the food we eat. Most of pancreatic cancers affect the area of the pancreas that produces the juices for breaking down food. The risk for pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most cases occur in people between ages 65 and 79.
Smoking increases the risk.
Diseases like chronic pancreatitis, alcoholism, diabetes, or cirrhosis, may also increase the risk. In countries where the diet is high in fat, pancreatic cancer rates are high. It is difficult to make a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer because the signs do not occur rapidly. They come on slowly, and, when they do, the signs may indicate some other disease. The signs are like those of many other less serious and more common illnesses.