Pancreatic Cancer By Priya and Natasha

Summary cells in the pancreas grown and divide uncontrollably forming a malignant tumor main regions of the pancreas: head, neck, body, tail spreads rapidly, usually not detected until it's in later stages most cancers are exocrine tumors Can be diagnosed through CT scan, MRI, ultrasound Onset generally occurs after age 45 the head can further be divided into the head proper and the uncinate process fourth deadliest cancer diagnosis most cancers are exocrine tumors - adenocarcinoma; neuroendocrine, or islet cell cancer are less common

Causes mutation or damage to pancreatic cells DNA mutations may occur randomly or to responses to the environment these cells continue to multiply and develop into a tumor tumorous cells may spread risk factors: genetics diabetes smoking diet obesity tumor cells spread- through the blood and lymphatic cells exocrine- lines the ducts of the pancreas endocrine- cancer forms in the hormone producing cells genetics: higher risk if family member has it, smoking- after 10 yrs chance goes all the way down diet- processed meat has been linked, high diet of fruits and vegetables is good obesity- exercise means half as likely to get it

Signs/Symptoms signs and symptoms are hard to detect because the cancer is often painless till late stages have developed cancer located at the head of the pancreas weight loss jaundice dark urine light colored stools enlarged lymph nodes cancer located at the body or tail of the pancreas belly or back pain If the duct draining bile into the intestine is blocked by pancreatic cancer, the stools may lose their brown color and become pale or clay-colored. Urine may become darker.

Treatment Surgery Ablative techniques Potentially curative vs. palliative Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple Procedure) Distal pancreatectomy total pancreatectomy unblocking the common bile duct Ablative techniques radiofrequency, microwave thermotherapy, cryosurgery Embolization - try to block the blood flow to tumor cells Radiation/ chemotherapy surgery - curative surgery - can potentially cure, is usually done to treat cancers in the head of the pancreas whipple procedure - for cancers of the head neck, and uncinate process distal pancreatectomy - only remove tail of pancreas or tail +portion of the body, sometimes the spleen, NOT for exocrine because tumors have already spread total - remove pancreas and spleen - develop diabetes and depend on insulin shots cancers in the head of the pancreas can block the common bile duct stent placement, bypass surgery

Bibliography http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/index http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/causes-pancreatic-cancer http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pancreatic- cancer/basics/causes/con-20028153 http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/pancreatic-cancer-symptoms http://pathology.jhu.edu/pc/TreatmentSurgery.php?area=tr