In summary, we find that silencing of EYA2 in the majority of pancreatic cancers; that such silencing is associated with poor outcome with pancreatic cancer; that EYA2 can suppress tumor growth in orthotopic models of pancreatic cancer, and that EYA2 signaling alters the expression of many genes involved in growth and development. The gene discussed is EYA2; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.