Our in vitro and in vivo findings that nicotine induced metalloproteinases 9 and 2 are in accord with analyses by PCR and immunohistochemistry that revealed increases in MMP-9 associated with induction of vascular endothelial growth factor in pancreatic cancer cells exposed in vitro to nicotine [24]. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.