Pancreas cancer

Pancreatic cancer, in principle, can occur in any part of the organ. To date, the head is most often affected.

Many forms of pancreatic cancer arise from various types of tissue. More than 95% pancreatic cancers arise from malignant transformation of cells lining the small outlet ducts of the secretion-producing part of the pancreas (ductal exocrine tumors).

Among them, the most common are the so-called adenocarcinomas. They make up about 80-90% of all cancers of the gland.

Less common are cystadenocarcinomas that also arise from ductal cells (approximately 6% of all pancreatic carcinomas) and acinar tumors that originate from the acinus, i.e. end sections of the ductal system of the pancreas that produce enzymes.

So-called endocrine tumors account for about 5% of pancreatic cancers. They may arise from the hormone-producing cells of the islets of Langerhans, scattered throughout the gland tissue.