Dear Dr. SerVaas: I read an article in the Nov./Dec. 2002 Saturday Evening Post about a possible vaccine for pancreatic cancer. It has raised a question in my mind that you may be able to answer for me.My sister and I are third-generation type 2 diabetics. Recently one of our brothers was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is not diabetic, nor do we have a family history of cancer. My question is, have there ever been any studies done that suggest a possible link between pancreatic cancer and familial diabetes?Ellen CushineryMilwaukee, WisconsinDear Reader: Researchers hope that ongoing studies of families with the genetic form of pancreatic cancer will someday provide the answer to your good question. By locating the genetics at work in high-risk families, scientists can better understand the cause and biology of the disease in the general population.Have you completed our Pancreatic Cancer Survey? Families with one or more relatives affected by the disease are invited to fill out the confidential questionnaire. This invaluable information is then submitted to the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry at Johns Hopkins Hospital and to the Pancreas Cancer Family Registry at the University of Nebraska.
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