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Pancreatic Cancer 

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Pancreatic cancer is a disease where cancer cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland in the body that has two main jobs. One of these jobs is to produce juices that help digest or break down food. The other job is to produce hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Some of these hormones include insulin and glucagon.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnosis and detect. Possible signs of pancreatic cancer are jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of eyes), pain, or weight loss.

Smoking, long-standing diabetes, and a family history of pancreatic cancer are risk factors for pancreatic cancer. For more information on smoking as a risk factor, click here. Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer. Not having risk factors doesn't mean that you will not get cancer.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has many resources, including a list of questions to ask your healthcare team. 

For more information on pancreatic cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.
 

Other pancreatic cancer resources:

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Information on pancreatic cancer was adapted from the National Cancer Institute.