Interleukin-8 has been shown to be an important mitogenic factor in a variety of cancers including melanoma (Schadendorf et al, 1993; Singh et al, 1994), colon cancer (Brew et al, 2000; Li et al, 2001), pancreatic cancer (Miyamoto et al, 1998), malignant mesothelioma (Galffy et al, 1999) and Kaposi's sarcoma (Masood et al, 2001). Here, CXCL8 is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.