The risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include:

• tobacco smoking (most established risk factor; risk increases significantly with greater intensity and duration) (Arriaga et al. 2019)
• cystic lesions of the pancreas
• obesity
• increased consumption of red meat and processed meat
• a family history of pancreatic cancer
• older age
• chronic pancreatitis
• longstanding type 2 diabetes mellitus
• male gender
• Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity
• chronic alcohol consumption
• liver cirrhosis
• stomach infections with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers
• heavy occupational exposure to certain pesticides, dyes and chemicals used in metal refining (Cancer Australia 2017a).

Having certain hereditary conditions also increase a person’s risk of pancreatic cancer:

• hereditary pancreatitis syndrome
• hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC – Lynch syndrome)
• Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
• hereditary BRACA2-related breast and ovarian cancer syndrome
• familial atypical multiple mole melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome
• ataxia-telangiectasia syndrome (ATM mutation)
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome (TP53 mutation).