Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. No effective screening methods exist, and available treatment modalities do not effectively treat the disease. Established risk factors for pancreatic cancer, including smoking, chronic pancreatitis, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, collectively account for less than half of all pancreatic cancer cases. Accumulating reports have demonstrated that there is an association between pathogenic microorganisms and pancreatic cancer. SUMMARY: A substantial amount of preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that microbiota are likely to influence pancreatic carcinogenesis. This review summarizes the literature on studies examining infections that have been linked to pancreatic cancer. KEY MESSAGE: Helicobacter pylori infection may be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer; chronic hepatitis virus and oral microbiota may also play a role in pancreatic carcinogenesis. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Considering the worldwide burden of the disease, the association between microbiota and pancreatic cancer in this review may provide new ideas to prevent and treat pancreatic cancer more efficiently. Further studies in this direction are urgently needed.