Scoping review maps 16 themes in pancreatic cancer risk research

A scoping review of 130 observational studies has identified 16 major themes associated with pancreatic cancer risk, with the clearest concentration of research around smoking, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis, obesity-related measures, increasing age and a family history of pancreatic cancer. The analysis also covers hepatobiliary and kidney disorders, systemic and oral health conditions, chronic inflammation, infectious agents, environmental exposures, demographic characteristics, genetic factors, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, and medication-related exposures. Many of these broader areas were investigated less often, and the review characterizes their evidence as less extensive and often heterogeneous.

The review, published in BMC Cancer, examined observational research concerning factors associated with pancreatic cancer risk. It followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The authors searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest and ScienceDirect from each database’s inception through 13 July 2026.

Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data, while methodological quality was appraised with Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. The included studies had been published from 2001 through 2026, and the researchers synthesized the evidence using thematic analysis. Substance use was the most frequently investigated theme in the literature, followed by metabolic disorders, body weight and composition, dietary habits and pancreatic conditions.

Smoking, diabetes mellitus and chronic pancreatitis were among the factors most often reported across the included studies, alongside obesity-related measures, increasing age and family history of pancreatic cancer. The scope of the evidence therefore extends well beyond individual behavioral choices, incorporating metabolic, clinical and inherited factors as well as environmental and social domains. However, the number of studies examining a topic does not by itself establish causality or determine the strength of an association.

Across the 16 themes, the review identified evidence concerning clinical conditions, chronic inflammation, infectious agents, genetic factors, environmental exposures and medication-related exposures. These categories were represented in the literature but were generally studied less frequently than the principal themes. The review also included demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors and psychosocial factors, showing that the assessed research extends beyond disease, lifestyle and inherited susceptibility alone.

As a scoping synthesis, the work maps the factors that have been investigated rather than pooling results into a single effect estimate. The authors’ conclusion is correspondingly cautious: the literature is extensive for several recurring factors, but important areas remain insufficiently characterized, particularly where exposure definitions and study methods vary. The review identifies two priorities for future research: greater use of prospective designs and standardized, clearly defined exposure assessment.

The authors state that more reliable pancreatic cancer risk stratification may be supported as the evidence base becomes clearer, but the review itself does not provide a new risk score, prove that the less-studied factors cause pancreatic cancer, or establish clinical benefit from any intervention. Its principal contribution is a detailed account of the current research landscape: six broad domains, 16 major themes and 130 observational studies show both where pancreatic cancer risk research is concentrated and where important questions remain less thoroughly examined.

Subject of Research: Scoping review of observational evidence on pancreatic cancer risk factors across behavioral, metabolic, clinical, genetic, environmental and social domains.

Article Title: Pancreatic cancer risk factors across behavioral, metabolic, clinical, genetic, environmental, and social domains: a scoping review

Article References: Ghanbari-Jahromi, M., Zare, Z., Jalali, F. S., Dastan, H., Sarikhani, Y., & Nematollahi, M. S. (2026). Pancreatic cancer risk factors across behavioral, metabolic, clinical, genetic, environmental, and social domains: a scoping review. BMC Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-16945-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12885-026-16945-9

Keywords: pancreatic cancer, risk factors, scoping review, observational studies, smoking, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis, obesity, genetic factors, environmental exposures, social factors, thematic analysis