Pancreatic cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the pancreas grow out of control, forming a mass of tissue called a tumour.
The pancreas lies behind the stomach and in front of the spine. It works to help the body use and store energy from food by producing hormones to control blood sugar levels and digestive enzymes to break down food.
Interesting Facts
- Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers.
- Survivalhas improved for most cancers over the last 40 years, but not for pancreatic cancer.
- Pancreatic cancer is more common in developed countries but is on the rise in Africa.
- Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men than in women.
The stages of pancreatic cancer are:
- Stage 0: No spread. Pancreatic cancer is limited to top layers of cells in the ducts of the pancreas. The pancreatic cancer is not visible on imaging tests or even to the naked eye.
- Stage I: Local growth. Pancreatic cancer is limited to the pancreas but has grown to less than 2 centimetres in diameter (stage IA) or greater than 2 centimetres, but no more than 4 centimetres (stage IB).
- Stage II: Local spread. Pancreatic cancer is over 4 centimetres and is either limited to the pancreas or there is local spread where the cancer has grown outside of the pancreas, or has spread to nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant sites.
- Stage III: Wider spread. The tumour may have expanded into nearby major blood vessels or nerves, but has not metastasized to distant sites.
- Stage IV: Confirmed spread. Pancreatic cancer has spread to distant organs.