Quebec Pancreas Cancer Study

The objectives of the QPCS are as follows: 1. To study the epidemiology of pancreas cancer, related cancers and related pre-cancerous conditions, including the risk factors and patient outcomes. 2. To characterize the contribution of known hereditary cancer syndromes to pancreas cancer, related cancers, and related pre-cancerous conditions. 3. To identify new genetic and epigenetic changes associated with hereditary pancreas cancer, related cancers, and related pre-cancerous conditions. DNA contains the instructions used in the development and functioning of living organisms, including humans. Epigenetic changes are changes other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. 4. To study the tumour biology of pancreas cancer and related pre-cancerous conditions. This may include studying the tumour and the environment surrounding the tumour, as well as blood and/or saliva samples. The studies may include characterization of genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, epigenetic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes. 5. To identify and characterize biomarkers associated with pancreas cancer, related cancers and related pre-cancerous conditions. 6. To determine if there are any epidemiological, clinical and outcome (for example, overall survival) associations with the genetic, genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic or other biologic changes that occur in pancreas cancer, related cancers and related pre-cancerous conditions.