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.

We don’t know the exact cause of pancreatic cancer. We do know that people with certain risk factors may be more likely to get it.

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer

• Being overweight
• Drinking alcohol
• Having inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis
• Smoking tobacco
• A family history of pancreatic cancer

You may reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer by controlling some of the risk factors described here. Pancreatic cancer prognosis usually occurs for reasons we don’t clearly understand, however.

Pancreatic cancer symptoms

Pancreatic cancer has no clear early symptoms. The following symptoms can occur with pancreatic cancer but may also be a sign of something else.

• Dark urine, pale stools, and yellow skin and eyes from jaundice (without pain)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain in the middle part of your back that doesn’t go away when you shift your position
• Pain in the upper part of your belly unrelated to eating or drinking
• Stools that float in the toilet

Advanced cancer also can cause:

• Loss of appetite or feelings of fullness
• Weakness or feeling very tired
• Weight loss for no known reason

If you have these symptoms, call your doctor or make an appointment with The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

To detect and diagnose pancreatic cancer, our doctors perform thorough exams. They also ask questions about your health history and symptoms. Some of the tests they may perform include:

Gastrointestinal cancer (GI cancer) specialists at The University of Kansas Cancer Center are at the forefront of discovering new pancreatic cancer treatments that improve patients' lives.