Hudgi A, Woodcock A, Mirza A, Okiye P, Kemple B, Sifuentes H, Sridhar S. Pancreatic cancer: Recent epidemiological trends and risk determinants. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(31): 119810 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.119810]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Alexander Woodcock, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 W 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912, United States. awoodcock@augusta.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
review-article
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Hudgi A, Woodcock A, Mirza A, Okiye P, Kemple B, Sifuentes H, Sridhar S. Pancreatic cancer: Recent epidemiological trends and risk determinants. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(31): 119810 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.119810]
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2026; 32(31): 119810 Published online Aug 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.119810
Pancreatic cancer: Recent epidemiological trends and risk determinants
Amit Hudgi, Alexander Woodcock, Ali Mirza, Porsha Okiye, Brendan Kemple, Humberto Sifuentes, Subbaramia Sridhar
Amit Hudgi, Humberto Sifuentes, Subbaramia Sridhar, Department of Gastroenterology, Medical College of Georgia/Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
Alexander Woodcock, Ali Mirza, Porsha Okiye, Brendan Kemple, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
Author contributions: Hudgi A, Sifuentes H, and Sridhar S conceptualized the narrative review; Hudgi A, Woodcock A, Mirza A, Okiye P, and Kemple B performed the research and wrote portions of the article; Hudgi A and Woodcock A reviewed and edited the article.
AI contribution statement: The authors certify that this article was researched, written, and edited without generative AI software.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Alexander Woodcock, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 W 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912, United States. awoodcock@augusta.edu
Received: February 7, 2026 Revised: March 13, 2026 Accepted: May 7, 2026 Published online: August 21, 2026 Processing time: 178 Days and 18.2 Hours
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the common malignancies worldwide, characterized by late-stage diagnosis, aggressive progression, and persistently high mortality. Despite being the 12th most diagnosed cancer globally, it ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death, reflecting its poor prognosis and limited survival gains. Here we form a narrative review synthesizing current global epidemiological data on pancreatic cancer, drawing primarily from GLOBOCAN, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, and other large population-based studies, with a focus on incidence, mortality, and survival trends. Survival remains dismal, with 5-year survival rates generally below 15%, largely due to delayed diagnosis and limited effective screening strategies. This review comprehensively examines modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, and occupational and environmental exposures. We also provide elaborate evaluation of non-modifiable factors such as age, sex, race, family history, and inherited genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA1/2, PALB2, ATM, and mismatch repair genes). We discuss emerging evidence on metabolic health, gene-environment interactions, and disparities in outcomes. A comprehensive summary of recommendations for pancreatic cancer screening and surveillance in high-risk populations is highlighted. Despite the growing understanding of individual risk factors, there remains a need to further characterize the interplay between the risk factors. With a greater understanding of a patient’s individual risk profile, screening for pancreatic cancer and possibly identifying earlier stages can hopefully lead to improved prevention strategies, guide targeted screening, and optimize resource allocation in addressing the growing global burden of pancreatic cancer.
Core Tip: Pancreatic cancer is a diagnosis that is often devastating due to high mortality rates. This review covers up-to-date data regarding global incidence and mortality, then further delves into important risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer in detail. Some of the risk factors discussed are modifiable, such as tobacco or alcohol use, while others are not modifiable, like age, race, or genetics. Finally, this review covers current screening and surveillance recommendations.
