A recent study investigated whether pancreatic cysts might be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The incidence and characteristics of pancreatic cysts found by MRI in patients with and without pancreatic cancer were examined. 116 patients with pancreatic cancer and 1,226 with nonpancreatic disease were included in the trial. Multivariate analysis revealed cyst presence to be a significant risk factor for pancreatic cancer, especially cysts >10 mm in diameter.