Pancreatic cancer refers to malignant tumors arising in the pancreas. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common type.
What is this condition?
Tumor location in the head, body or tail and its relationship with vessels influence surgical planning.
Signs and symptoms
Jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, upper abdominal/back pain, appetite loss and weight loss can occur.
Diagnostic assessment
Pancreas-protocol CT, MRI, endoscopic ultrasound and tissue sampling when needed are used for diagnosis and staging.
General treatment framework
Treatment may combine surgery, systemic therapy and selected radiotherapy approaches depending on resectability.
Role of surgery
Head tumors may require a Whipple procedure; body/tail tumors may require distal pancreatectomy.
Selected academic work
These publications demonstrate academic work related to the topic; they are not the sole source of current treatment standards.
- PUB-2025-01 — 2025 — Synaptophysin-like-1: A Novel Serum Diagnostic Marker for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Screening, Early Diagnosis, and Prognosis Prediction. — https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14113719
- PUB-2025-02 — 2025 — The Role of Resolvin D1 in the Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Acute Pancreatitis: A Case-Control Study. — https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61020168