The National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry (NFPTR) is a research registry that was established at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1994 so that we could learn more about pancreatic tumors. Over the past 25 years, the NFPTR has been a leader in the study of familial pancreatic cancer. There have been over 100 peer-reviewed publications that have stemmed from the NFPTR. These data have helped us:
- Demonstrate that individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer are at an increased risk of developing pancreatic tumors.
- Understand the genetic basis (both inherited and non-inherited) of pancreatic cancer.
- Demonstrate that genes are an important cause of pancreatic cancer.
- Develop tools to identify individuals at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
- Show that pancreatic tumors can be detected early in high-risk individuals. (For more information on our research, see the NFPTR newsletter links.)
The NFPTR team includes experts from a variety of fields including epidemiology, pathology, gastroenterology, molecular biology, genetics, cytogenetics, surgery, radiology, radiation oncology and oncology. Having such a wide variety of researchers who have dedicated their careers to learning more about pancreatic cancer truly enables the NFPTR to study pancreatic tumors from all angles. This multi-faceted approach has led to great advances in the field of pancreatic cancer research, and we still have a lot to learn. Click here to meet the team.