A novel immune mechanism for neutrophil killing of pathogens, termed neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), has become a hot topic of research in recent years. An increasing number of studies have shown that formation of NETs is involved in the pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular diseases, gallstone formation, inflammation, tumors and other diseases. Studies demonstrated that the presence of NETs is one of the pathogenesis of acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) and an important factor in the progression of acute pancreatitis (AP), and furthermore, it is also a key factor in promoting the proliferation and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells, as well as participating in the venous thrombus formation of pancreatic cancer patients. Here, the authors address the related topics.