Identifying people at a high risk of developing pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, and it has the poorest prognosis of any major tumour type. Familial pancreatic cancer registries are important for investigating the genetic aetiology of this devastating disease. Using data from our familial pancreatic cancer registry and other registries, this Review discusses the usefulness of family registries in the study of pancreatic and other cancers, and also how such registries provide a unique opportunity for laboratory, population and clinical research.

Figure 1. Overview of the research conducted with pancreatic cancer family registry data

Family registries represent a collection of data that typically includes a detailed family history, as well as blood or saliva for DNA studies. This information can be used in a variety of research studies, including gene discovery and cancer risk. The family data can be expanded to capture pathology samples and prospective data collection that enable other studies, such as prospective studies and biomarker studies, to be carried out.