The prevention and genetics of pancreatic cancer: a programmatic approach.

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is typically a fatal disease due to its rapid growth and the lack of early diagnostic -techniques. Because approximately 10% of PCs are attributable to a hereditary susceptibility, identifying and studying patients with a family history of PC or known genetic predisposition to PC can improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PC. A skilled team of study investigators, physicians, genetic counselors, and data managers must work with patients and families to confidentially store and organize data from PC patients and high-risk patients. This data, collected in conjunction with patients' tissue and blood specimens, will contribute to the understanding of the biology, etiology, and epidemiology of PC, and can ultimately improve screening and management for patients with an underlying hereditary predisposition to PC.