creation date: 2025-08-05 02:50
tags: Pathologies Incomplete
Pancreatic Cancer
Background
Definitions
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant tumour within the pancreas. Cancers are divided into exocrine and endocrine variants based on the cells of origin.
Variants and subtypes
Approximately 85% of all pancreatic neoplasms are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This is characterized by a solid tumour originating from the epithelium of the pancreatic ductal tree.
Other variants include:
- Invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)
- Invasive mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN)
- Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC)
- Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN)
- Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNETs) - endocrine
- Pancreatic mesenchymal neoplasms - from nerves, fat, lymph of pancreas
Clinical Presentation
Signs & Symptoms
Triad of pancreatic cancer is:
- Pain
- Jaundice
- Weight loss
Symptoms some patients may present with include (ordered by prevalence):
- Asthenia
- Anorexia
- Abdominal pain
- Epigastric pain
- Dark urine
- Nausea
- Back pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Steatorrhea
- Thrombophlebitis
Additional signs frequently seen include:
- Hepatomegaly
- RUQ mass
- Cachexia
- Courvoisier’s sign (non-tender but palpable distended gallbladder at right costal margin)
- Epigastric mass
- Ascites