New evidence from the Centers for Disease Control suggests that pancreatic cancer may soon become the second deadliest cancer right behind lung cancer.

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It's currently the fourth deadliest. Dr. Niraj Gupta is a medical oncologist with St. Vincent Hospital. He says about 44,000 patients are diagnosed each year and 37,000 die. Gupta says the death rates for pancreatic cancer are not dropping as they are for other cancers. He says more patients are being diagnosed.

He says colon cancer is number two and breast cancer is the third deadliest cancer. Dr. Gupta says the aging population, smoking, obesity and diabetes along with lack of exercise all play roles in the rise of pancreatic cancer. He adds there are no effective screening tools for pancreatic cancer. He says that means that by the time many people are diagnosed, the disease is often in its advanced stages.