What is the pancreas?

The pancreas is a gland in the upper abdomen. It produces enzymes needed to digest food and hormones that help regulate blood sugar levels.

The pancreas has two major functions:

Produce digestive enzymes that help break down proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other nutrients from food. These enzymes include trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase A and pancreatic lipase.

Produce insulin and glucagon. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels by allowing glucose to enter cells where it’s used for energy or stored as glycogen for later use. Glucagon increases blood sugar levels by causing glycogen stored in the liver to be broken down into glucose so that it can enter the bloodstream when needed.

Other functions include:

• Secreting digestive enzymes that help break down fat and protein in food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the intestines
• Making hormones that control blood sugar levels (glucagon)
• Making hormones that increase your appetite (ghrelin)

What is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a glandular organ behind the stomach that produces digestive juices and hormones that help the body digest food and regulate blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic cancer usually develops slowly, so symptoms may not appear until the disease has already spread. Common signs and symptoms include:

• Weight loss without trying
• Fatigue
• Pale skin or yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Abdominal pain, especially in the upper abdomen or back
• Nausea and vomiting, particularly after eating

What are the types of pancreatic cancer?

There are two main types of pancreatic cancer:

Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of pancreatic cancer. This type of cancer begins in the lining of the cells that make up your digestive tract.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare form of cancer that affects the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. GISTs can grow anywhere in the body, but they are most common in the stomach or small intestine.

There are other types of pancreatic cancer, including lymphoma and sarcoma.

Who gets pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is rare, accounting for less than 2% of all cancers. It’s also one of the most deadly types of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 5%.

Pancreatic cancer usually develops in people over age 50, but it can occur at any age. The average age at diagnosis is 71. Men are more likely than women to develop pancreatic cancer.

While there are no clear reasons why some people get pancreatic cancer and others don’t, certain factors may increase your risk of developing the disease:

• Smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products
• Eating a diet high in red meat or processed meat
• Obesity (being overweight)

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

The symptoms of pancreatic cancer can vary widely, depending on the location and size of the tumor. Symptoms may include:

Abdominal pain that is often described as a dull ache that persists and may worsen over time.

Loss of appetite or unintentional weight loss (cachexia).

Jaundice, which is caused by buildup of bile in the blood because of blocked bile flow from the liver. The buildup of bile gives a yellowish appearance to skin and eyes (jaundice).

Tumor-related pain. This type of pain usually is located in the upper abdomen or back and radiates to your shoulder or chest area. It may feel like an uncomfortable pressure or burning sensation that gets worse when you move or breathe deeply. This type of pain usually develops over time and becomes more severe as the tumor grows larger or spreads through surrounding tissues.

What causes pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer can be hard to diagnose because it often doesn’t cause symptoms until it’s at an advanced stage. But there are some things that increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

A family history of pancreatic cancer is one risk factor. If you have a parent or sibling with the disease, you have an increased risk of developing it yourself. You also might be at increased risk if they developed the disease at a young age (younger than 40 years old).

Other factors that can increase your risk include:

• Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women)
• Being overweight or obese
• Having diabetes

What are the risk factors for pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a disease that occurs when cells in your pancreas grow abnormally and form a large tumor. The pancreas is an organ that lies behind your stomach and produces hormones that help control blood sugar levels and digestive juices. There are several risk factors that can increase your chance of developing this disease, including:

Age. Most people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are 65 or older, although it can occur in younger adults as well. It’s more common in men than women.

Family history. If you have a close relative who has had pancreatic cancer, you have an increased risk of developing it yourself.

A personal history of diabetes or smoking cigarettes. Both of these conditions increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer as well as other cancers.

How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms often don’t appear until the disease has progressed.

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually made based on your medical history, a physical exam and tests that examine the tumor and nearby tissues.

A doctor usually suspects pancreatic cancer after ruling out other diseases that have similar symptoms. This may include:

• Pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas
• Gallstones (cholelithiasis)
• Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, which cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss
• Other causes of upper abdominal pain, such as appendicitis or gastric ulcers

How is pancreatic cancer treated?

The treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on the type of cancer, the stage and other factors. Your doctor will recommend a treatment plan that’s right for you.

The following treatments are common for pancreatic cancer:

Surgery. Some people with early pancreatic cancer can be cured using surgery alone. Surgery is usually done to remove the tumor, but it also can be used to drain or control bleeding in or around your pancreas. If you have advanced disease that doesn’t respond to chemotherapy, surgery may be done to try to relieve symptoms or improve quality of life. Surgery may not cure this type of pancreatic cancer because it’s often too far advanced before it’s diagnosed.

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing and dividing (mitosis). The drugs enter your bloodstream and travel through your body killing any fast-growing cells they find along the way, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy is most effective if given before tumors have spread beyond their original location and when used with other treatments such as radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy (radiation). Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells in an area where there has been a tumor removed surgically.