| 2) What exactly is pancreatic cancer? (continued)
|
| Cancer of the pancreas strikes approximately 5 out of every 100,000 people every year and is one
of the deadliest forms of cancer. It is estimated that this year 28,000 Americans will be diagnosed
with cancer of the pancreas. An almost equal number of patients (some diagnosed previous to this year)
will die from pancreatic cancer during this year. |
| Cancer of the pancreas is not one disease. In fact, as many as twenty different tumors have been lumped
under the umbrella term "cancer of the pancreas." Each of these tumors has a different appearance when
examined with a microscope, some require different treatments, and each carries its own unique prognosis.
An understanding of the different types of pancreatic tumors is required
for rational treatment. |
|
Cancers of the pancreas can be broadly classified as:
| primary- |
those arising from the pancreas itself |
| metastatic- |
those arising in other organs and only later spreading to the pancreas |
|
