Pancreatic Cancer (con't)
Overview of Pancreatic Cancer
Types of Pancreatic Cancer:
- Carcinoma of the pancreas - the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Synonyms are ductal cell carcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Other Types Include:
- acinar cell carcinoma
- papillary mucinous carcinoma
- signet ring carcinoma
- adenosquamous carcinoma
- undifferentiated carcinoma
- mucinous carcinoma
- giant cell carcinoma
- mixed type (ductal-endocrine or acinar-endocrine)
- small cell carcinoma
- cystadenocarcinoma (serous and mucinous types)
- papillary-cystic
- Islet cell cancer - a rare type of pancreatic cancer that begins in the ducts that carry pancreatic juices
Types of islet cell tumors:
- gastrinoma
- insulinoma
- glucagonoma
Borderline Pancreatic Tumors:
- mucinous cystic tumor with dysplasia
- intraductal papillary mucinous tumor with dysplasia
- pseudopapillary solid tumor
Stages of Pancreatic Cancer:
Stage I
Stage I (stage 1) pancreatic cancer is limited to the pancreas and has not spread to other organs.
Stage II
Stage II (stage 2) pancreatic cancer has spread to nearby organs, such as the duodenum or bile duct but has not entered the lymph nodes.
Stage III
Stage III (stage 3) pancreatic cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas and possibly to nearby organs.
Stage IV
Stage IV (stage 4) pancreatic cancer has spread to other organs.
- Stage IVA - cancer has spread to organs that are near the pancreas (such as the stomach, spleen, or colon) but has not spread to distant organs (such as the liver or lungs).
- Stage IVB - cancer has spread to distant organs (such as the liver or lungs).
Recurrent
Recurrent pancreatic cancer has recurred after it has been treated. It may recur in the pancreas or in another part of the body.
Other Factors:
- Your cancer may be located in the head, the tail, or the body of the pancreas.
- Pancreatic cancer may be considered operable or inoperable.
- If the tumor blocks the common bile duct so that bile cannot pass into the intestines, you may become jaundiced.
Grade of Pancreatic Cancer:
Grade indicates how quickly or slowly cancer cells grow. The grade is determined by the appearance of the cells under the microscope. Tumors are graded on a scale of 1 to 3.
Grade 1 - cells look most like normal tissue (called well differentiated or low-grade).
Grade 2 - cells look somewhat like normal tissue (called moderately well differentiated or moderate grade).
Grade 3 - cells appear very abnormal (called poorly differentiated or undifferentiated or high-grade). They are likely to grow more quickly and more likely to spread.
