Pancreatic cancer
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What is pancreatic cancer?
- Pancreatic cancer originates in the pancreas1
- The pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach; it is involved in digestion and secretes substances and hormones such as insulin2,3
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Types of pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatic cancer can be divided into 2 main types: exocrine tumours and endocrine tumours2
- Exocrine tumours develop in the exocrine glands of the pancreas; these glands make a “juice” containing enzymes that play a role in digestion2
- Endocrine tumours develop in clusters, or “islets”, of endocrine cells in the pancreas; these islets make important hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which play a role in digestion of glucose2
- Exocrine tumours are by far the most common type2
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Who gets pancreatic cancer?
- Pancreatic cancer mostly affects people aged 50–80 years3
- It is more common in smokers than in non-smokers3
- People with diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, and stomach infections caused by the Heliobacter pylori bacteria have an increased chance of developing pancreatic cancer3
- It is the 12th most common cancer worldwide4
- 338,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 20124
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Screening, detection, and diagnosis
- People at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer can be screened using genetic testing or endoscopic ultrasound5
- Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed on using:6
- Urine and blood tests
- Imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, and PET
- Endoluminal ultrasonography
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
- Laparoscopy
- Biopsy
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Patient guidelines
A patient guideline is a document containing information for patients and their families about their disease and the treatment options available to them
Click here to see the European patient guideline on your condition7
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Local support groups
Contacting a support group may help you during diagnosis and treatment and afterwards
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Infographics
Click here for information on the incidence of pancreatic cancer in Europe8
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