Increased risk of incident pancreatic cancer among first-degree relatives of patients with familial pancreatic cancer.

It has been estimated that familial aggregation and genetic susceptibility play a role in as many as 10% of patients with pancreatic cancer (PC). The quantified prospective risk of PC among first-degree relatives of PC patients has not been investigated. Families enrolled in the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry (NFPTR) prior to September 1, 1998 were followed to estimate the risk and incidence of PC among first-degree relatives of patients with PC.

Familial pancreatic cancer.

Background: For many years anecdotal case reports have suggested that pancreatic cancer aggregates in some families.

Methods: Two recent advances have established that this is in fact the case. First, large registries, such as the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry (NFPTR) at Johns Hopkins, have identified a number of families in which multiple family members have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.