| In
situ |
A term used to
indicate that cancerous cells are present in the duct but have not spread
to the glandular tissue. |
| Insulin |
A hormone produced
by the endocrine
islets of Langerhans cells of the pancreas. It acts to lower blood sugar
levels. |
| Jaundice |
Yellowing of
the skin or whites of the eyes caused by the accumulation of
bile pigments (usually due to an obstruction
of the bile ducts). |
| Laparoscopy |
A technique
that surgeons can use to visualize and even
biopsy (take tissue samples of) organs inside of
the abdomen without making large incisions. Very small incisions are made
in the belly and small tubes (called trocars) are then inserted. Gas is
pumped in through one of the tubes to create enough space to work in. The
surgeon inserts a small camera through one of the tubes and examines the
lining and contents of the abdominal cavity by looking at the projected
image on the television screen. With specially designed laparascopic instruments,
biopsies and fluid samples can be taken for examination. Some surgeons
feel that this technique can help
"stage" a patient less invasively than with
open surgery. |
| Liver |
The largest organ
in the body, located in the right upper part of the abdomen. It performs
many life-maintaining functions including the production of
bile . It detoxifies the blood of drugs, alcohol
and other harmful chemicals. It processes nutrients absorbed by the intestine
and stores essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Bilirubin is a chemical
produced when old or damaged blood cells breakdown. The liver chemically
process the bilirubin so that it can dissolve in water and be excreted
through the urine. When this process is disrupted,
jaundice
can develop. |
Loco-regional
pancreatic cancer |
A primary cancer
that has spread to regional lymph nodes and/or resectable (removable) tissues.
Removable tissues include some lymph nodes and parts of the duodenum and
stomach that are routinely removed in some surgical treatments for pancreatic
cancer. |
| Lymph
nodes |
Normal, round,
raisin to grape-sized collections of lymphocytes (white blood cells) found
throughout the body. Lymph nodes are connected to each other by lymphatic
vessels. They normally help fight infection, but also are one of the first
sites to which cancers spread. In general, the spread of cancer to lymph
nodes portends a worse prognosis for the patient. There are exceptions
to this. |
| Reference: The Johns
Hopkins Family Health Book; Michael J. Klag Editor, Harper Collins Pub.,
1999. |
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