Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage your blood sugar.
Several types of growths can occur in the pancreas, including cancerous and noncancerous tumors. The most common type of cancer that forms in the pancreas begins in the cells that line the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma).
Pancreatic cancer is seldom detected at its early stages when it's most curable. This is because it often doesn't cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs.
Pancreatic cancer treatment options are chosen based on the extent of the cancer. Options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these.
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Pancreatic cancer happens when malignant (cancerous) cells grow, divide, and spread in the pancreas. The pancreas is a 6-inch-long, spongy, tube-shaped organ located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. It has two major jobs in the body: to make digestive juices (called enzymes) that help break down food, and to make hormones -- including insulin -- that control the body's use of sugars and starches.
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Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and actor Patrick Swayze are among those who have died of pancreatic cancer.
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People often don’t have symptoms in the early stages of this disease. But as the cancer grows and spreads, pain often develops in the upper abdomen and sometimes spreads to the back. The pain may worsen after you eat or lie down. Other symptoms may include jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, weakness, and depression.
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Because doctors rarely find pancreatic cancer in its early stages when it’s easiest to treat, it’s one of the most deadly cancers. About 9% of people with pancreatic cancer live at least 5 years after diagnosis. But the 5-year survival rate is much better -- 34% -- if it hasn’t spread past the pancreas. Know that survival rates can’t predict what will happen to any single person and may not reflect newer types of treatment.
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Experts don’t know the exact cause of pancreatic cancer. Certain gene mutations can cause it. Other risk factors include smoking, age (it’s usually diagnosed in people older than 45), diabetes, chronic pancreatitis due to a genetic mutation, liver cirrhosis, family history of the condition, gender (it’s more common in men than women), obesity, certain chemicals, and race. (African Americans have a slightly higher risk than whites; experts don’t know why.)
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It can be hard to find this disease early on. A doctor may not see or feel a small tumor during a routine exam. To help make the diagnosis, you may get imaging tests such as an ultrasound or CT scan. The green area shown in this CT scan appears to be cancer in the pancreas and liver. These studies also help your doctor choose the most appropriate treatment. For a diagnosis, you’ll get a biopsy, in which your doctor uses a needle or does an operation to take a bit of tissue from the tumor for testing.
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Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells and stop them from growing or multiplying. It may involve one drug or a combination of drugs. You may get it by mouth or by injection. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body, making chemotherapy a good choice for cancer that has spread. You may also get it after surgery to kill any cancer cells left behind.
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Palliative therapy is used to ease symptoms and manage pain in any stage of the disease. You can get it along with other medical treatments. The goal is to improve quality of life not just in the body, but in the mind and spirit. While palliative therapies are clearly appropriate at the very advanced stages of the disease, they also help when given along with other treatments that target the cancer.
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While there’s no way to prevent all cases, you can take action against the risk factors you can control. The American Cancer Society’s tips:
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