The aim of the present pilot study was to use a highly sensitive quantitative method to determine whether a difference exists between selected tumor suppressor genes (p16, RARbeta, TNFRSF10C, APC, ACIN1, DAPK1, 3OST2, BCL2 and CD44) and genome-wide repetitive sequence (LINE-1 and Alu) methylation in peripheral blood of subjects with pancreatic cancer and healthy controls. The gene discussed is CD44; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.