The immunohistochemical evaluation of expression of AXL protein in a panel of 99 archival pancreatic cancers revealed AXL expression in 54 out of 99 specimens (55%); and positive AXL expression in pancreatic cancer was significantly associated with lymph node metastases and a shorter median survival (12 as opposed to 18 months) as compared to AXL-negative tumor samples (50). Here, AXL is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.