Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant (cancerous) cells formed in the tissues of the pancreas. The cancer may develop in the head, body, or tail of the pancreas.

The pancreas is a gland found behind the stomach and extends across the abdomen. It has two distinct functions. The exocrine gland cells make pancreatic juices that have enzymes to break down fats and proteins in foods so the body can use them. Most of the cells in the pancreas are part of the exocrine system. A smaller number of cells in the pancreas are endocrine cells. These cells are arranged in clusters called islets, which make hormones, such as insulin, that help balance the amount of sugar in the blood.

Prevalence¹

• The American Cancer Society predicts that in 2008 almost 38,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and about 34,000 will die of the disease.¹

• Types²

  • Most pancreatic tumors originate in the exocrine duct cells or in the cells that produce digestive enzymes (acinar cells). Ninety-five percent of pancreatic cancers are called "adenocarcinomas."
  • Endocrine and ampullary cancers are the two other types of pancreatic cancer that are less common. Tumors that begin in the islet cells are referred to as endocrine tumors. Ampullary tumors develop in the ampulla of Vater — the place where the bile and pancreatic ducts empty into the small intestine. These tumors often block the bile duct, leading to jaundice.

• Treatment^2,3

  • There are four main types of treatment for cancer of the pancreas: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Depending on the stage of the cancer, two or even three of these types of treatment could be given — either at the same time or one after the other.³
  • For advanced pancreatic cancer patients, other treatments may include pancreatic enzyme tablets and insulin therapy.²

• Survival Rates^4,5,6

  • Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat, as it is often resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and tends to spread quickly to other parts of the body,^5,6 leading to high mortality and short life expectancy.⁴
  • Despite significant advances in the treatment of many other human tumors, the five-year survival rate for persons diagnosed with pancreatic cancer has not changed in decades and remains at about five percent.²
  • For those patients with localized disease (has not spread to other organs), the 5-year relative survival rate is about 20 percent.²

• References

  ¹ American Cancer Society Web site: "Cancer Facts & Figures 2008."

  ² Mayo Clinic Web site: www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00357

  ³ American Cancer Society Web site: "How is Cancer of the Pancreas Treated?"

  ⁴ Steward, B W and Kleihues, P. 2003. World Cancer Report. World Health Organisation and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Press/Lyon, p248-249.

  ⁵ Real FX. 2003, June. A "catastrophic hypothesis" for pancreas cancer progression. Gastroenterology, 124 (7):1958-64.

  ⁶ Bardeesy N, DePinho RA. 2002, Dec. Pancreatic Cancer Biology and Genetics. Nature Reviews Cancer, 2, 897-909.