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| Question # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 |
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A-C| D-E| F-H| I-L| M-O| P-S| T-Z |
| Diabetes Mellitus | The condition or disease in which the body is unable to appropriately control blood sugar(glucose) levels. This may be caused by failure of the pancreas to produce adequate amounts of insulin. |
| Diaphragm | A dome shaped muscle that separates the lungs and heart from the abdomen. This muscle assists in breathing. |
| DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | The part of every cell that carries all genetic information. |
| Duct | A small anatomic structure. This is essentially a tube that carries various bodily fluids. |
| Duodenum | The first portion of the small intestine. It is about 1 foot long. |
| -ectomy | Surgical removal of a structure or part of a structure. For example, pancreatectomy is the surgical removal of the pancreas (or a portion of it.) |
|
Endocrine cells |
These are specialized cells that produce hormones released into the bloodstream. For example, the islets of Langerhans are endocrine cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin. This hormone helps control blood sugar(glucose) levels. Some rare tumors of the pancreas, the endocrine (Islet Cell) tumors, can produce these same hormones. It is very important that these rare tumors be properly diagnosed because it will determine the treatment and prognosis. |
| Endocrinologist | A medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of hormonal abnormalities. |
| Enzyme | A chemical that causes a reaction in other substances, in this case as a part of the digestive process. |
| ERCP
(endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) |
A test used to visualize and examine the pancreas and bile ducts. A tube is inserted through a patient's nose (or throat), down through the esophagus and stomach then into the small intestine (duodenum). There, a small probe is inserted into the ampulla of Vater. A dye is injected through the probe and into the pancreatic and bile ducts. X-rays are then taken and the pancreatic and bile ducts can be seen as white structures (this is because the injected dye is opaque. Because pancreas cancers often block the pancreatic and/or bile ducts, this technique can be useful in establishing a diagnosis of pancreas cancer. |
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Exocrine cells |
The exocrine cells (acinar cells) of the pancreas produce and transport chemicals that will exit the body through the digestive system. The chemicals that the exocrine cells produce are called enzymes. They are secreted in the duodenum where they assist in the digestion of food. |
| Reference: The Johns Hopkins Family Health Book; Michael J. Klag Editor, Harper Collins Pub., 1999. | |
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 FAQ List | Pancreas Cancer Web Homepage | Patient/Family Chat Room Copyright © 1999 The Johns Hopkins University Last Modified: 09/07/99 |