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• Pancreatic cancer recently moved from the fourth to the THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER-RELATED DEATH in the United States and is anticipated to become the second around 2020. • Pancreatic cancer is one of the nation·s deadliest cancers, with a five-year SURVIVAL RATE OF JUST 8 PERCENT. • In 2016, an estimated 53,070 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States, and approximately 41,780 will die from the disease. • Pancreatic cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the 11th,most commonly diagnosed in men. • Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include family history of the disease, age, chronic or hereditary pancreatitis, smoking, obesity and long-standing diabetes. These and other risk factors are still being investigated. • Pancreatic cancer may cause only VAGUE SYMPTOMS that could indicate many different conditions within the abdomen or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include pain [usually abdominal or back pain]. weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes]. loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool and diabetes. • The location of the pancreas deep in the abdominal cavity is a factor HINDERING EARLY DETECTION of pancreatic cancer.