About the Pancreas

The pancreas is an organ that is about 6 inches long. It’s located deep in your belly between your stomach and backbone in the upper part of your abdomen.

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the pancreas and the other organs of the body.

When you get a diagnosis of cancer, it’s natural to wonder what may have caused the disease. Doctors can’t always explain why one person gets pancreatic cancer and another doesn’t.

Early cancer of the pancreas often doesn’t cause symptoms. When the cancer grows larger, you may notice one or more of these common symptoms

If you have symptoms that suggest cancer of the pancreas, your doctor will try to find out what’s causing the problems.

While pancreatic cancer survival rates have been improving from decade to decade, the disease is still considered largely incurable.

If cancer of the pancreas is diagnosed, your doctor needs to learn the extent (stage) of the disease to help you choose the best treatment.

Before starting treatment, you may want a second opinion about your diagnosis, the stage of cancer, and the treatment plan.