Pancreatic Cancer

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Summary

The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces the juices that help break down food and the hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer usually begins in the cells that produce the juices. Some risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include

Smoking
Long-term diabetes
Chronic pancreatitis
Certain hereditary disorders

Pancreatic cancer is hard to catch early. It doesn't cause symptoms right away. When you do get symptoms, they are often vague or you may not notice them. They include yellowing of the skin and eyes, pain in the abdomen and back, weight loss and fatigue. Also, because the pancreas is hidden behind other organs, health care providers cannot see or feel the tumors during routine exams. Doctors use a physical exam, blood tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy to diagnose it.

Because it is often found late and it spreads quickly, pancreatic cancer can be hard to treat. Possible treatments include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

General Information about Pancreatic Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Pancreatic Cancer (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
What Is Pancreatic Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Abdominal exploration - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Amylase Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
CA 19-9 Blood Test (Pancreatic Cancer) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Metastasis (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)
Stages of Pancreatic Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Stages of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Tests for Pancreatic Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Tumor Marker Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Complementary Pancreatitis Therapies (National Pancreas Foundation)
Drugs Approved for Pancreatic Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Pancreatic Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors / Islet Cell Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Options by Stage (Pancreatic Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Options for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Whipple Procedure (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)

Living With

How Are Diet & Exercise Affected? (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)
How Is Pain Managed? (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)
Living as a Pancreatic Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Nutrition Following Pancreatic Surgery (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)
Pancreatic Enzymes (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)

Related Issues

What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor? (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)
What Should You Ask Your Health Care Team About Pancreatic Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

General Information about Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (Islet Cell Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Pancreatic Exocrine Tumors (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)
Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Genetics

Is Pancreatic Cancer Hereditary? (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)
Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome (American Society of Clinical Oncology)

Images

Pancreatic Cancer Stage 2A (National Cancer Institute)
Pancreatic Cancer Stage 2B (National Cancer Institute)
Pancreatic Cancer Stage 3 (National Cancer Institute)
Pancreatic Cancer Stage 4 (National Cancer Institute)

Statistics and Research

Cancer Statistics: Pancreas Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
What Are the Key Statistics about Pancreatic Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Islet Cell (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pancreatic Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Normal Pancreas Anatomy (National Cancer Institute)
What Is the Pancreas? (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology)

Find an Expert

American Cancer Society
ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
NCI Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Organizations That Offer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Amylase - urine (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Pancreatic cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Understanding Chemotherapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish