Pancreatic Cancer

What is Pancreatic Cancer?
What are the types of Pancreatic Cancer?
What are the symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer?

About Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is now the 4^th leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It will cause more than 30,000 deaths this year in the United States alone. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect, hard to diagnose, early to metastasize (spread) and resistant to treatment.

Types of Pancreatic Cancer

The most common type of pancreatic cancer is also known as pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma or simply pancreatic carcinoma. Other types of pancreatic cancer can occur as well including those arising from endocrine cells or exocrine cells. Endocrine cancers are also known as islet cell or neuroendocrine cancers. These tumors can produce hormones that produce a variety of symptoms such as changes in blood sugar or diarrhea. Exocrine pancreatic cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells originate within the tissues of the pancreas that produce digestive juices. The following information focuses mainly on pancreatic carcinoma, the most common cancer of the pancreas.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is sometimes called a "silent disease" because early pancreatic cancer often does not cause symptoms. But, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

Weight loss
Pain in the upper abdomen or upper back
Yellow skin and eyes, dark urine, and light stool
Weakness
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting

These symptoms are not sure signs of pancreatic cancer. An infection or other problem could also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can diagnose the cause of a person's symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor so that the doctor can treat any problem as early as possible.