Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society facts and figures, approximately 43,920 people in the United Sates will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012, and it is expected that 37,390 will die from the disease. The dismal prognosis of the disease is clearly depicted by the fact that its incidence approximates its mortality. Pancreatic cancer has a 95% case fatality rate. The etiology of pancreatic cancer remains elusive and our knowledge of its precursors and natural history is preliminary and incomplete. The uniform fatality of the disease merits priority attention in the search for its cause.