Pancreatic Cancer
When healthy cells in the pancreas become abnormal and grow uncontrollably, they often develop into a tumor. The most common malignant cancer of the pancreas, adenocarcinoma, occurs in involved in the production of enzymes necessary for digestion. These cells make up the lining of the pancreatic duct (duct cells), through which pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes flow. Cancer can also occur in the islet cells, which are clusters of cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, but is less common.
Types of Pancreatic Cancer
- Adenocarcinoma is the most common cancer of the pancreas, accounting for 95% of cases. Adenocarcinoma involves cells that secrete digestive enzymes.
- Islet cell carcinoma involves cells that secrete a variety of hormones. Tumors can be functional and produce abnormally high amounts of hormones, or non-functional and not produce any hormones. Most islet cell tumors are malignant, but some are benign, such as insulin-producing islet cell tumors.
- Pancreaticoblastoma is very rare, usually seen in small children.
- Isolated sarcomas and lymphomas can occur in the pancreas, but these are exceedingly rare.
- Pseudopapillary neoplasms occur mostly in young women in their teens and twenties.
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