Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancer is a dangerous disease in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland that is found behind the stomach and in front of the spine. The pancreas produces digestive juices and hormones that regulate blood sugar levels. Cells called exocrine pancreas cells produce the digestive juices, while cells called endocrine pancreas cells produce the hormones. The majority of pancreatic cancers start in the exocrine cells. There are certain risk factors that can increase the chance of contracting pancreatic cancer. Some risk factors include smoking, chronic inflammation of the pancreas, and long standing diabetes. If pancreatic cancer runs in a family it also increases the risk of contracting this cancer. Pancreatic cancer has the following symptoms: jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), pain in the upper or middle abdomen and back, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and depression. Pancreatic cancer can be diagnosed in few ways. Doctors can order CT scans, a MRI, an endoscopic ultrasound, laparoscopy, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (procedure used to X-ray liver and bile ducts), a biopsy, or a blood test to diagnose this type of cancer. After diagnosis, this cancer can be treated in a few ways. One way would be by surgery to remove a tumor or to treat symptoms of the cancer. Another way would be chemotherapy which uses drugs to treat cancer. The last way would be radiation therapy which uses X-rays or other kinds of radiation to kill cancer cells. Even though there are treatment methods available, the American Cancer