Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in the pancreas, forming a tumor. These cells can continue to grow and spread to other areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver, abdominal wall, bones and lymph nodes.

The pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach. It is about 6-10 inches long and 2 inches wide. It has two functions – exocrine and endocrine.

• The exocrine function makes chemicals that break down protein and delivers these chemicals directly into the digestive tract. This is the main function of the pancreas and most tumors occur here.
• A smaller part of the pancreas focuses on the endocrine function. This makes insulin and glucagon. The pancreas puts insulin and glucagon directly into your bloodstream to help your body burn or store sugar. Cancers in this area are very rare.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and treat, although new treatments for pancreatic cancer show some promise. The University of Kansas Cancer Center offers comprehensive services for the screening, diagnosis, treatment and support of people with pancreatic cancer.

With pancreatic cancer, tumors are either exocrine or neuroendocrine. The majority of tumors are exocrine, with the most common type being adenocarcinoma. Only about 7% of tumors are neuroendocrine. These tumors typically grow more slowly than exocrine tumors.