Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer frequently don't appear until the condition has advanced. When they do, the following symptoms and signs may be present:

• Upper abdominal pain that may radiate to your back
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Depression

When pancreatic cells experience genetic mutations, pancreatic cancer results. These mutations make the cells grow out of control and live after normal cells would have died. These accumulating cells can form a tumor.

Understanding your pancreas

Your pancreas is about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and looks something like a pear lying on its side. The pancreas is a crucial part of your digestive system. It secretes hormones, including insulin, to help your body process sugar. And it produces digestive juices to help your body digest food.

Types of pancreatic cancer

The types of cells involved in a pancreatic cancer help determine the best treatment. Types of pancreatic cancer include:

• Cancer that forms in the pancreas ducts (adenocarcinoma). Cells that line the ducts of the pancreas help produce digestive juices. The majority of pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas. Sometimes these Exocrine tumors are the name for cancers.
• a cancer that develops in the cells that make hormones.Endocrine cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas. Pancreatic endocrine cancers are extremely uncommon.