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Carcinoma of the pancreas is more common in males as
compared to females. It usually affects above 60 years of age. In about 75 per
cent cases, the tumour originates in head of the pancreas while in the
remaining 25 per cent cases it originates in body or tail of the pancreas.
The pancreatic carcinomas are of two types, i.e. exocrine
carcinomas and endocrine carcinomas. About 95 per cent pancreatic carcinomas
are of exocrine type. The most common exocrine pancreatic carcinoma is ductal
adenocarcinoma that arises from duct cells of the pancreas. Other exocrine
pancreatic carcinomas include giant cell carcinoma and acinar cell carcinoma.
Endocrine pancreatic carcinomas, also known as islet cell carcinomas, are slow
growing tumours.
Risk factors of pancreatic carcinoma include:
Pancreatic carcinoma usually presents with pain in the epigastrium that
radiates to back and intensifies after eating or lying supine, especially at
night. Other symptoms include diarrhoea, loss of appetite, loss of weight,
fever, anaemia, glycosuria, hyperglycaemia and thrombophlebitis. Jaundice may
occur in advanced stages of the disease.
Staging of the pancreatic carcinoma is done as follows:
Procedures used in diagnosis and evaluation of the pancreatic carcinoma
include blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, percutaneous transhepatic
cholangiography (PTC), endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP)
and biopsy.
Disclaimer:
This content is for information and educational purposes only and should not be perceived as medical advice. Please consult a certified medical or healthcare professional before making any decision regarding your health using the content above.
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Papri Gupta
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Pancreatic Cancer