[Epidemiological and molecular-genetic aspects of the association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer].

It has been more than 15 years since the epidemiological studies revealed the interrelation between chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic cancer (PC). For the specified period of time pancreatology has advanced considerably. The genetic nature of mucoviscidosis and hereditary pancreatitis was revealed, and similar studies were carried out with respect to pancreatic cancer as well. As a result, several genetic processes were revealed, some of them promoting the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the pancreas, and others--malignant changes. It was established later that in some cases pancreatic cancer can have a precisely inherited nature being associated with other hereditary syndromes, yet the frequency of this form of pancreatic cancer does not exceed 3%, while some forms of chronic pancreatitis (hereditary and tropical) increase the risk of development of pancreatic cancer in 53-100 times.