Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the pancreas, a small, fish-shaped organ that sits behind the stomach, producing enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer typically starts in the ducts of the pancreas, and small changes in the cellular DNA result in uncontrolled multiplication and accumulation of cells in clusters called tumors. If untreated, these cancer cells can spread outside of the pancreas to other parts of the body. The most common type of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which begins in the cells that line the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer rarely is found at its early stages when the chance of curing it is greatest, because it often doesnt cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs.

Pancreatic tumors are either exocrine or neuroendocrine (endocrine) tumors, based on the type of cell they start in. More than 90% of pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumors, and the most common type of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic cancer symptoms include nausea, bloating, fatigue, jaundice, and lack of appetite. Pancreatic cancer survival rates are low because the disease is difficult to detect in the early stages.

Treatment of pancreatic cancer that has metastasized or recurred may include chemotherapy with or without targeted therapy. In order to plan treatment, it is important to know the stage of the disease and whether or not the pancreatic cancer can be removed by surgery. The process used to find out if cancer cells have spread within and around the pancreas is called staging. Tests and procedures to detect, diagnose, and stage pancreatic cancer are usually done at the same time.