Statistics About Pancreatic Cancer

Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting cancer or of making a full recovery. It is important to remember that this data shows what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, you can’t use this data to know or predict what will happen to you.

These are 2007 statistics from the American Cancer Society’s Facts & Figures about pancreatic cancer.

• About 37,000 people will be told they have pancreatic cancer this year.

• The number of men and women who get pancreatic cancer is about equal. The numbers and rates of incidence have changed very little over the past 15 to 25 years.

• Being overweight or not physically active increases your risk for getting pancreatic cancer. Rates are higher in countries where diets are higher in fat.

• Smokers are two times as likely as nonsmokers to get pancreatic cancer.

• An estimated 33,400 Americans will die of pancreatic cancer this year, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women.