An Overview of the Pancreas and Pancreatic Tumors


Pancreatic tumors, as its name suggests, occurs in the pancreas. In the minds of most people, the pancreas is a little-understood organ. But to understand pancreatic tumors, one must understand the affected organ. The relatively small structure of about 6 to 10 inches in length, the pancreas is located deep in the upper abdomen just above the stomach. A run of Conduct pancreas and connects empties into the duodenum.


The pancreas is composed of three parts: the head, affecting the duodenum; the body; and tail, which extends into the spleen. Tumours can develop throughout the pancreas. The location of the tumor influences the way doctors treat growth. If the tumor is localized and non-cancerous in the pancreatic head, doctors will likely perform a resection of the pancreatic head. Here, only the head of the pancreas is removed. But if the tumor is cancerous, it will perform a Whipple procedure. This is more drastic than the resection: the head of the pancreas, part of the bile duct, gall bladder, and duodenum are removed. The location of the pancreatic tumor also slightly affects the symptoms a person will show. However, most cause similar side effects. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, loss of weight and appetite, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes associated with the accumulation of bile) if the tumor is in the head of the pancreas depression and spontaneous blood clotting in the veins (called Trousseau sign). The pancreas has many functions, and symptoms of pancreatic tumors derived growth functions interfere. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. Pancreatic tumor that grows and destroys the insulin-producing cells, known as islet cells, can lead to diabetes mellitus or its symptoms. The pancreas also makes glucagon, which works with insulin to control sugar levels in the blood.

Furthermore insulin and glucagon, pancreas creates enzymes known substances that help to break down fats, starch and protein in the body can use states. If a tumor interfere with the secretion of these enzymes, the foods are not digested appropriately.

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