Benign pancreatic hyperenzymaemia (BPH) is a syndrome characterised by a chronic increase in serum pancreatic enzymes in the absence of pancreatic disease.^1–5 In March 2000 we saw a woman who had this form of hyperenzymaemia, whose mother had died of pancreatic cancer. Prompted by this observation, we undertook a prospective study to determine whether there is a familial association between BPH and pancreatic cancer. Between June 2000 and October 2006, we saw 68 subjects with BPH (42 male, 26 female; age range 8 to 72 years, mean age 45.7 years). They were questioned about the presence of pancreatic cancer in members of their families. The subjects who had relatives with pancreatic cancer and their immediate family members were included in the study. In …