[Epidemiology of pancreatic cancer]

Pancreatic cancer has been increasing in recent years in Japan. The number of pancreatic cancer deaths in 1990 was 13,318, accounting for 6.1% of all cancer deaths in Japan. The increasing trend of pancreatic cancer mortality is observed more markedly in the elderly population over 60 years of age, and especially in persons over 80. Possible reasons for the increase of pancreatic cancer were discussed. The geographic distributions of pancreatic cancer mortality in Japan and around the world indicate that the mortality is higher in northern Japan and even higher as the latitude increases. Some possible reasons for the inverse relationship between the pancreatic cancer mortality and the latitude were discussed. From epidemiological studies several risk factors for pancreatic cancer were reported; smoking, drinking, excess intake of meat and cholesterol, coffee, radiation, cholecystectomy, etc. However, more epidemiological studies are needed to identify and confirm risk factors for pancreatic cancer and to promote primary prevention of pancreatic cancer.