Worried about pancreatic cancer in your family?
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What's in the 'Family history' section?
Key facts
Sometimes cancers can ‘run in the family’. This isn’t common in pancreatic cancer. It’s less than one in ten (10%) of pancreatic cancers. In most cases pancreatic cancer doesn’t run in families.
- If pancreatic cancer does run in a family, there may be more than one relative with pancreatic cancer on the same side of the family.
- Pancreatic cancer that runs in families may be caused by a rare genetic condition.
- This means there is a faulty gene in the family that is linked to pancreatic cancer. Genes carry information that controls how our bodies work. We inherit genes from our parents.
- Hereditary pancreatitis is a rare type of pancreatitis that runs in families. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. People with hereditary pancreatitis may be more likely to get pancreatic cancer.
If pancreatic cancer runs in your family, you and your family may be able to take part in a study looking at family history of pancreatic cancer. This is called the EUROPAC study. As part this, you and your family may be able to have regular monitoring. This aims to spot any changes to the pancreas at an early stage.
Check your family risk
What are genes?
Genes carry the information that controls our appearance and how our bodies work. Genes come in pairs. We inherit one copy of each gene from our mother and the other from our father. We all have tiny differences in our genes that make us individual. For example, genes determine the colour of our eyes and hair.
Faulty genes
Occasionally, there may be changes in genes which mean that someone is more likely to get a disease. This type of change in a gene is often called a fault or mutation. Having a faulty gene doesn’t always mean someone will develop cancer.
Changes in genes can be inherited from a parent. Changes to genes can also happen during our lifetime, and these changes are not inherited from our parents. They may be caused by a random mistake when a cell divides. Or they may be caused by other things, such as smoking. These are much more common causes of cancer than inherited genetic faults.
A small number of genetic conditions are linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Read our fact sheet about family history
You can download this information in our fact sheet, Family history of pancreatic cancer.
Questions about family history?
If you have questions or worries about family history of pancreatic cancer, you can speak to our specialist nurses on our free Support Line.
References and Acknowledgements
References
Email us at publications@pancreaticcancer.org.uk for a list of sources used to write this information
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following people who reviewed our information on family history.
- Dr Adam Duckworth, Consultant Histopathologist, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Prof Bill Greenhalf, Professor of Molecular Oncology, University of Liverpool
- Dr Fraser Duthie, Consultant Pathologist, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- Nikie Jervis (RGN) Patient Engagement, Education & Policy Lead, Neuroendocrine Cancer UK
- Mr. Sanjay Pandanaboyana, Consultant Hepatobiliary Pancreatic and Transplant Surgeon
- Dr Sharon Dixon, Health Experiences Research Group, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
- Pancreatic Cancer UK Information Volunteers
- Pancreatic Cancer UK Specialist Nurses
Published June 2022
Updated September 2024
To be reviewed June 2025