Positive expression of CXCR4 was also detected in the vascular endothelial cells of the pancreas (Fig. 1I), the peripancreatic lymph nodes (Fig. 1H), the peripancreatic neural tissue (Fig. 1J) and an ‘island’ of pancreatic cancer (Fig. 1K). This evidence concerns the gene CXCR4 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.