Having a parent, sibling, or offspring with diabetes was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study led by Dr. Melissa A. Austin, professor of epidemiology from the University of Washington School of Public Health. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S., claiming an estimated 38,000 lives a year. Because more than a dozen genes have been associated with the cancer, family history can be useful in identifying individuals at high risk for the disease.