Based on data that has attributed cellular functions to fibroblast proliferation in other tissues, we investigated a panel of ten central regulators of cell proliferation (c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E1, FGF2, FGFR2, EGFR, EGF, FGF1, FGFR1 and VEGFA) in pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Here, EGFR is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.