The pancreas is a small, spongy organ which lies just under the curvature of the stomach and deep within the abdomen. The function of the pancreas is a complicated, but one could say that it primarily does two things. It produces enzymes which are useful for the digestion of food AND it secretes hormones which, among other things, help maintain and regulate body sugar levels.

On the surface this would seem to be a fairly straight forward question, but as there exists the controversy of competing nomenclatures, it is not as simple as one might think. In fact, in the U. S., universal agreement on a standardized staging system does not exist.

Generally, the most common symptoms of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas include loss-of-appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort and nausea. As these are all fairly non-specific symptoms, there is often delay in getting to the final diagnosis. The most common physical sign of pancreatic cancer is jaundice, with or without associated itching. Preceding to a medical evaluation often requires a high index of suspicion by the patient or by medical personnel.

Surgery for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is only offered to patients whose tumor is localized and meets other criteria (please note earlier FAQ answers). Only about 15-20% of those individuals with pancreatic cancer will be found to be eligible for surgery. In these cases, surgical resection (removal) of the tumor from the pancreas (and resection of select surrounding tissues) gives the best chance for a cure and generally confers a better overall prognosis in contrast to medical therapy.

There are no universally agreed upon firm guidelines for medical treatment for those patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas who are not candidates for surgery or who have a recurrence of the cancer after surgical resection. In part, this is because there is no one great treatment option-there are a number of treatment approaches which may be more or less appropriate, given certain variables.

The difficulty in discussing this topic is not because there are too few, but rather as there are so many creative experimental clinical trials which are occurring with newer agents and combinations against pancreatic cancer. However, it is important to note that many agents in that past have looked promising, only to show no advantage by the end of phase III clinical trials. These are experimental therapies, and can be highly risky.

Although we understand the possible benefits of some alternative therapies, this website is not strongly oriented this way. On an anecdotal basis only, we have heard of positive experiences that patients have had with the treatment of symptoms related to pancreatic cancer (and chemotherapy) involving such approaches as visualization therapy, prayer, acupuncture, green tea and Chinese herbs.

It has been estimated that ten percent of pancreatic cancers are hereditary. Many of these occur as part of rare medical syndromes. Lab Tests Online has been designed to help patients to better understand clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment. Short review on heredity of breast cancer and testing. Features links to other sites and links to current research at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Majority of colon cancers are not hereditary.

Describes the procedure to gather your family medical history to determine the risks for certain genetic conditions and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers which can run in families or ethnic groups. Some birth defects may also be inherited.

The celiac plexus innervates the lower esophagus, stomach, small intestines, most of the large intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, and kidneys. Therefore, by blocking the celiac plexus, you can interrupt the pain fibers from these abdominal organs. The celiac plexus is actually a series of ganglia just in front of the aorta and the 1st and 2nd lumbar vertebrae. A diagnostic block is done first with local anesthetic only.

The survival benefit of Tarceva plus gemcitabine was observed across most patient populations analyzed, as evidenced by hazard ratios ≤1. Genentech, Inc., and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., are actively evaluating whether there are any prognostic or predictive markers for Tarceva. See full prescribing information.

Current risk estimates suggest that 1 out of 3 Americans will develop some type of cancer in their lifetime. This means that 2 out of 3 Americans will not develop cancer.

Pancreatic enzyme replacement varies from 1-3 Viokase tablets with each meal and at bedtime, or 1-2 Creon or Pancrease capsules taken with each meal and at bedtime.

Answer: Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and can spread to other parts of the body. The colon and rectum are part of the large intestine (large bowel). Colon and rectum cancers which are sometimes referred to together as "colorectal cancer" arise from the lining of the large intestine. When cancer arises from the lining of an organ like the large intestine it is called a carcinoma.

The Frequently Asked Questions and Answers below are a partial compilation of many favorites found elsewhere on the net and in books. They are generic in nature and not affilliated with any one type or brand of device and may not necessarily be completely accurate for your device. We do not encourage the use of, or endorse any one type of device over the other ... but we DO EMPHATICALLY ENCOURAGE user participation, experimentation and sharing of info.