Understanding Pancreatic Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.
The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach. It releases juices that help the gut absorb food, especially fat, and produces hormones called insulin and glucagon that maintain a normal blood sugar level.
Like most cancer types, pancreatic cancer is divided into stages, according to how much it has spread out of the pancreas into the rest of your body.

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Signs & symptoms

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose early because the symptoms usually appear in late stages of the disease.
Signs and symptoms include jaundice (yellowing of your eyes and skin), belly or back pain, diarrhea and weight loss.
These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by liver cancer or by other conditions.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. The following tests will be done next:
-Blood tests- to check for any abnormalities and tumor markers
-Imaging tests such as CT scan, Ultrasound, MRI or a test called ERCP
-Biopsy- a small piece of the abnormal tissues is taken out so it can be viewed under a microscope.

Treatment

There are different types of treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer. The treatment depends on the type of cancer, its stage and your general health
-Surgery – to remove the cancer
-Chemotherapy- medication that will kill cancerous cells or stop their growing.
-Radiation therapy- high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation used to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.
-Targeted therapy- drugs or other substances that are aimed to attack specific cancer cells.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital