Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. The risk increases with age.
The cause is unknown, but it is more common in smokers and in people who are obese. Almost a third of cases of pancreatic cancer are due to cigarette smoking.
There is controversy as to whether type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. A small number of cases are known to be related to syndromes that are passed down through families.
At the time of diagnosis, only about 20% of pancreatic tumors can be removed by surgery. The standard procedure is called a pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure).
This surgery should be done at centers that perform the procedure frequently. Some studies suggest that surgery is best performed at hospitals that do at least nine of these surgeries per year.
When the tumor is confined to the pancreas but cannot be removed, a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be recommended.
When the tumor has spread (metastasized) to other organs such as the liver, chemotherapy alone is usually used. The standard chemotherapy drug is gemcitabine, but other drugs may be used. Gemcitabine can help approximately 25% of patients.
Pancreatic islet cell tumor (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A pancreatic islet cell tumor is an uncommon tumor of the pancreas that arises from a type of cell called the islet cell in the pancreas.Islet cell tumors; Islet of Langerhans tumor; Neuroendocrine tumors.In the normal pancreas, cells called islet...Reviewer: Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/18/2008
Abdominal CT scan (13 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
An abdominal CT scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomography.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 02/23/2009
ERCP (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) is a procedure used to identify stones, tumors, or narrowing in the bile ducts. The procedure is done through an endoscope.An intravenous(IV) line is placed in your arm. Reviewer: Christian Stone, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/08/2008
VIPoma (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
VIPoma is a very rare type of cancer that usually grows from certain cells in the pancreas.Vasoactive intestinal peptide-producing tumor; Pancreatic endocrine tumor.VIPoma causes cells in the pancreas to produce high levels of a hormone called vas...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
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