Guide To Understanding Pancreatic Cancer Stages

The pancreas, an organ in the upper abdomen, is responsible for producing and secreting certain hormones and digestive enzymes. Pancreatic cancer hat develops in the cells responsible for the digestive enzymes is called exocrine pancreatic cancer. It includes adenocarcinomas, acinar cell carcinoma, ampullary cancer, adenosquamous carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and giant cell carcinomas. Pancreatic cancer that develops in the cells responsible for hormones is called endocrine pancreatic cancer. It includes insulinomas, glucagonomas, gastrinomas, somatostatinomas, and VIPomas. Blood, urine, and stool tests may be used to help make a pancreatic cancer diagnosis along with endoscopic ultrasound, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, x-rays, an angiogram, and a tissue biopsy.