Objective To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) on apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell. Methods Human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 orthotopic implantation tumor model was established in nude mice. Primary pancreatic cancer cells and that derived from lymphatic metastasis were primarily cultured. Expression of VEGF-C was inhibited through antisense oligodeoxynucleotide in vitro transfection. Reverse transcription polynlerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometer were used to detect the effect of VEGF-C on apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells and bcl-2. Results After in vitro transfection, mRNA expression level of VEGF-C in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells significantly decreased (P ＜0. 01 ). Apoptosis rate of pancreatic cancer cells derived from spontaneous lymphatic metastasis was (2. 83 ± 1.01 ) %, ( 4. 98 ± 2. 05 ) %,and ( 13.22 ±2. 17) % respectively for control group, SODN group and ASODN group after in vitro transfection among which apoptosis rate in ASODN group increased significantly (P ＜0. 01 ). However, apoptosis rate for pancreatic cancer cells derived from primary tumor had no obvious change (P ＞0.05), with (3.51 ±1.38)%, (4.76 ±2. 16 ) %, and (5. 33 ± 2. 18 ) % respectively in control group, SODN group and ASODN group. The expression level of bcl-2 in pancreatic cancer cells derived from spontaneous lymphatic metastasis decreased significantly (P ＜0. 05) while it had no obvious change in primary pancreatic cancer cells (P ＞ 0. 05). Conclusion To inhibit expression of VEGF-C in pancreatic cancer cell can promote apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell, which is relevant to downregulation of bcl-2;however, it has no obvious effect on primary pancreatic cancer.