The pancreas is an organ roughly the shape and size of a medium carrot that lies deep in the upper abdomen. It has two major roles:

• Production of hormones such as insulin (which regulates blood sugar levels)
• Production of a juice containing enzymes that help digest food

When the pancreas is not working properly diabetes can develop and food (particularly fat) may not be digested completely, causing diarrhoea.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumour (cancer) that develops from the cells of the pancreas. It is not one of the most common cancers, but due to its aggressive nature, is one of the leading causes of death from cancer.

In most cases it is not known why pancreatic cancer develops. Risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Family history of pancreatic cancer
• Certain inherited genetic diseases

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite or feeling very full after eating a small amount
• Upper abdominal or back pain
• Jaundice (yellow discolouration of the skin and eyes)
• Diarrhoea- pale, greasy, bowel movements that are smelly and difficult to flush

These symptoms can also be caused by problems that are not pancreatic cancer, but you should speak to your doctor if you develop them.

Test to diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer may include

• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with biopsy
• ERCP
• Blood tests for tumour markers

In some cases, when diagnosed very early, pancreatic cancer can be cured. However many are already advanced by the time of diagnosis. Even in cases where cure is not possible, treatments are available that may slow the cancers growth, extend survival and treat symptoms.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer may include:

• Surgery
• Stenting of the bile duct to relieve jaundice (ERCP or PTC)
• Chemotherapy- medicines that kill cancer cells
• Radiotherapy- using radiation to kill cancer cells
• Coeliac plexus block (injection to block nerves) to treat pain