With pancreatic cancer having high mortality rates and patients surviving only an average of one year, this discovery may play a significant role in future cancer treatments. Researchers were able to identify the process of how normal stem cells in the pancreas become cancerous. When a person smokes, chemicals called plycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are released, which in turn prevent communication between the cells in the body. For the first time, this research pinpoints how these toxic PAH chemicals cause cancer not by initiating it but by promoting it. In other words, these carcinogenic PAH compounds don't mutate healthy cells but rather trigger existing mutated cells to grow and multiply.

It is estimated that 37,000 Americans will be diagonosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 making these findings important for the discovery of treatments, including dietary changes, to effectively fight and even reverse cancer of the pancreas.

It's also important to note that harmful PAHs can form when substances with certain proteins, including food, are burned. This is especially relevant when cooking foods that contain proteins and even more relevant when grilling or frying meat.