Pancreas Cancer

What is cancer?

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases, all characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer can arise in many sites and behaves differently depending on its organ of origin. When a cancer spreads from its origination to other areas of the body it is still referred to by its point of origin. Thus, breast cancer has different characteristics from lung cancer, and if it spreads to the lungs it is still breast cancer, and behaves differently from lung cancer, and microscopically continues to have the appearance of breast cancer.

Normal cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. Tumors occur when rapidly dividing cells form a mass. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous, can be removed, and often will not grow back. Nor do they metastasize, or spread, into other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous, frequently recur, and can invade and destroy surrounding tissues.

What are the characteristics of pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in
the U. S. Each year, approximately 30,000 Americans develop cancer of the pancreas. It occurs more frequently in women than in men. It is typically diagnosed at age 60 or over, and is seldom found in patients under age 40. Cancer of the pancreas is difficult to diagnose because the organ is surrounded and hidden by other organs, including the stomach, small intestine, bile duct, gallbladder, liver and spleen. This is why pancreatic cancer is frequently undetected in its earliest stage. One of the early warning signs is jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to watch out for:

What are the stages of pancreatic cancer?

If a tumor is found to be malignant, its extent or spread is measured by a process called staging. Tumor stage is a classification based on the size of the primary tumor, involvement of nearby lymph glands, and spread to other organs, called metastasis. The stage of the tumor determines the appropriate treatment and the prognosis.

In cancer of the pancreas the stages are:

Most pancreatic cancers begin in the ducts that transport pancreatic enzymes. The most common form is adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic cancer most often occurs in the head of the pancreas and rarely develops in the "tail."