Greatest burden of pancreatic cancer found in developed countries

Source: Globocan: 2008

Cancer of the pancreas is the ninth most common type of cancer worldwide. About 280,000 cases were recorded in 2008. The incidence is somewhat more common in men than in women – the age-standardised rate for men (all ages) was 4.5 per 100,000 against 3.3 per 100,000 for women. Trends show that it is increasing, particularly in high-income countries, where it is most frequent.

The highest age-standardised rate (ASR) is recorded in Armenia (10.0), but many countries in Eastern and Central Europe have rates above 7.0. These include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Kazakhstan. However, high levels of pancreatic cancer are not confined to this region, and the ASR for more developed regions in general is 6.8. Developed countries as diverse as the USA, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Israel all have relatively high levels of pancreatic cancer.

Less developed regions have much lower rates of pancreatic cancer (ASR 2.4) and it is relatively rare in Africa and Asia, although rates are high in some countries in these areas, for example, Japan and Korea. South Asia has some of the lowest rates of pancreatic cancer, with India (1.0), Pakistan (0.8), Sri Lanka (0.6), and Bangladesh (0.4) having consistently low rates.

The Second Expert Report found that the evidence for body fatness as a cause of pancreatic cancer is convincing, while abdominal fatness is a probable cause. Additionally those factors that lead to greater adult attained height, or its consequences, are probably a cause of pancreatic cancer. Foods containing folate probably protect against cancer.

Other causes of pancreatic cancer include tobacco smoking.

Rate per 100,000 population