Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan Sep 4 2025 A new study explains why smokers have a higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer and why they tend to have worse outcomes than nonsmokers. Researchers from the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center found a specific cell that responds to environmental toxins such as those found in cigarettes. When the toxins bind to the cells, it leads to release of a protein, interleukin-22, causing tumors to grow aggressively in mice with