Pancreatic cancer affects men and women equally with incidence increasing from the age of 45. The average age at diagnosis is 75.
There are two main types of pancreatic cancer. Tumours that affect the exocrine glands, and ones that affect the endocrine glands.
The pancreas has two main jobs in the body;
- It contains exocrine glands which create enzymes which help to digest food
- It contains endocrine glands which create hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which control blood sugars.
There are therefore two main types of pancreatic cancer. Tumours that affect the exocrine glands, and ones that affect the endocrine glands. If you are worried about pancreatic cancer, it can be an anxious time. You may have questions about what pancreatic cancer is, what the symptoms are and if you have an increased chance of getting the disease. This section will tell you about pancreatic cancer and give you some of the tools and resources to understand the disease.
If you are worried about any symptoms you are experiencing, you can track them using our symptom diary and take it to your GP. You can also see a list of questions that may be useful to ask in medical appointments to help you know if your symptoms are likely to be cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer – a quick guide