What is (are) Pancreatic Cancer ?
Key Points
                    - Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.    - Smoking and health history can affect the risk of pancreatic cancer.    - Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, pain, and weight loss.    - Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect (find) and diagnose early.    - Tests that examine the pancreas are used to detect (find), diagnose, and stage pancreatic cancer.    - Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
                
                
                    Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.
                    The pancreas is a gland about 6 inches long that is shaped like a thin pear lying on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle section is called the body, and the narrow end is called the tail. The pancreas lies between the stomach and the spine.     The pancreas has two main jobs in the body:         - To make juices that help digest (break down) food.    - To make hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, that help control blood sugar levels. Both of these hormones help the body use and store the energy it gets from food.         The digestive juices are made by exocrine pancreas cells and the hormones are made by endocrine pancreas cells. About 95% of pancreatic cancers begin in exocrine cells.   This summary is about exocrine pancreatic cancer. For information on endocrine pancreatic cancer, see the PDQ summary on Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (Islet Cell Tumors) Treatment.   For information on pancreatic cancer in children, see the PDQ summary on Unusual Cancers of Childhood Treatment.