These studies have shown that inhibiting PKCε in pancreatic cancer cells with the 5-Lox inhibitor MK591—and the subsequent reversal of this inhibition by 5-oxoETE and the prevention of MK591-induced apoptosis through chemical and peptide activators of PKCε—demonstrate that apoptosis induced by 5-Lox inhibition in these cells occurs via the inhibition of PKCε. This evidence concerns the gene PRKCE and familial pancreatic carcinoma.