Genetic Risk and Pancreatic Cancer Prevention

Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2013- Focus on Pancreatic Cancer Conference. In this blog, she discusses genetic factors that may put someone at higher risk for pancreatic cancer.

Anil Rustgi, MD

Of the 40,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year, approximately 10 percent, or 4,000 of these have a hereditary or familial basis, according to Penn expert, Anil Rustgi, MD, chief of gastroenterology. Patients are anxious to identify family members who are risk for the disease, and take steps to minimize those risks or prevent them from developing pancreatic cancer.

It is important to note that having pancreatic cancer does not necessarily mean that your family is at increased risk. Dr. Rustgi points out that there are very specific conditions linked to higher rates of this disease. They include:

• Hereditary pancreatitis: This is an inherited condition. It occurs early in life, even in childhood, and is characterized by nausea and pain. As the condition becomes more chronic, patients develop severe diarrhea and diabetes. Smoking and alcohol use make the symptoms worse. Having this condition, which is caused by a specific genetic mutation, increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 35%.
• FAMM: Familial atypical mole and multiple melanoma syndrome. This is a rare condition, also caused by a specific genetic mutation. If a patient has two or more family members with melanoma, or one member with multiple melanomas and pancreatic cancer, family members should be tested for this condition.
• BRCA 1 and 2: These genetic mutations are more often associated with breast cancer, but are now being linked to other cancers as well, including pancreatic, ovarian and prostate cancer.

There are several other rare genetic syndromes associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. All of these, according to Dr. Rustgi, are amenable to genetic testing, counseling and intervention.
The GI Genetics Program at Penn can help patients understand their level or risk, establish the source of that risk, educate patients and family members on the best approaches to targeted screening and intervention. It can also identify patients and families who are NOT at increased risk for pancreatic cancer.

Learn more about your risk for gastrointestinal cancer at the GI Cancer Risk Evaluation Program.