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Subject:	A colleague recommends What is Pancreatic Cancer?
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• Types of Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Am I at risk?
• Can I get screened?
• How do you diagnose it?
• What are the Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer?
• What are the treatment options?
• What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Approximately 28,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the United States. Because pancreatic cancer causes only subtle symptoms in the early stages, it is frequently not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced, difficult-to-treat stage.

The pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach and in front of the spine. Approximately six inches long, the pancreas somewhat resembles the shape of a pear tipped on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is known as the head; the middle portion is called the body; and the narrow end is the tail. The pancreas is intimately related to other organs like the duodenum (first part of the small intestine) as well as to important veins and arteries.

The pancreas is a gland. Glands are organs that produce hormones. The pancreas plays two key roles in digestion: it produces enzymes (digestive juices) that break down food, and it also secretes hormones (such as insulin or glucagon) that help to regulate blood sugar levels. The digestive juices are produced in "exocrine" cells, while the hormones are produced in "endocrine" cells. Approximately 95 percent of all pancreatic cancers originate from exocrine cells

Most pancreatic cancers arise in the head of the organ. As the cancer grows, it spreads to other areas of the pancreas, and then into adjacent lymph nodes and contiguous organs of the GI system. When left untreated, pancreatic cancer can metastasize - or spread - to distant organs such as the liver and lungs.

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