Pancreatic cancer

Overview

Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas secretes digestive juices (enzymes) that help digest food and produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon that help control blood sugar. Rarely, tumors spread to the pancreas from other organs.

Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is seldom detected in its early stages. By the time pancreatic cancer is found, it has typically spread to other nearby organs such as the liver and lymph nodes and can't be surgically removed. Pancreatic cancer is resistant to standard chemotherapy and tends to recur, making it one of the most challenging cancers to treat.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for pancreatic cancer

• Expertise and teamwork. Mayo Clinic doctors from many medical specialties work together to provide you with the best care possible, tailored to your needs. At the pancreas clinics in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, your team may include specialists in gastroenterology, radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, nutrition and other areas if needed.
• Latest diagnostic tools. Pancreatic cancer can be very difficult to distinguish from another relatively uncommon disease called autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). AIP is a noncancerous (benign) condition that can be treated with steroids without the need for surgery, if diagnosed early enough. The Pancreas Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is a leader in developing diagnostic criteria for AIP. Mayo doctors can do core biopsies of the pancreas that conclusively diagnose both pancreatic cancer and AIP.
• Latest treatment options. At Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, doctors in the Pancreas Clinic treat a high volume of people with pancreatic disease, including cancer. Mayo Clinic surgeons were among the first in the U.S. to perform a Whipple procedure through a series of small incisions in the abdominal wall (laparoscopically) and routinely perform this procedure today.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognizes scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• Latest research. Mayo Clinic is recognized as a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in pancreatic cancer by the National Cancer Institute, receiving continuous funding over several years. Pancreatic cancer studies by researchers in the Mayo Clinic Gastrointestinal Cancer Program focus on developing new diagnostic tools, prevention and treatment. Mayo doctors conduct many clinical trials in this area.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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