Overview of pancreatic cancer
This guide can help answer your questions about pancreatic cancer. MSK is a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence and has deep experience treating pancreatic cancer.
Treating pancreatic cancer has been a challenge in the past, but that’s changing. At MSK, our experts are developing and testing new ways to improve care for people with pancreatic cancer.
At MSK, we have one of the world’s largest programs for pancreatic cancer research studies, also known as clinical trials. We test promising new treatments, including therapies based on tumor genetics, immunotherapy, and new medicines.
Where you’re treated first matters. MSK treats among the highest number of people with pancreatic cancer in the country, and in New York City. We’re a leading hospital for pancreatic cancer care and research. Each year, our pancreatic cancer experts treat many people who were just diagnosed or have advanced or complex pancreatic cancer.
MSK surgeons operate on about 350 people with pancreatic cancer each year. Our oncologists (cancer doctors) and other experts treat about 850 people each year. Treating so many people every year means our doctors are very experienced in pancreatic cancer care, including:
- Treating all types of pancreatic cancer.
- Assessing your genetic risk for pancreatic cancer.
- Complex surgery to treat pancreatic cancer.
- Treating advanced (late-stage) pancreatic cancer.
- Treating pancreatic cancer that came back.
This guide can support you and your loved ones as you learn about pancreatic cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, genetic risk, and clinical trials.
You may have just learned you have pancreatic cancer, or you may be worried you have it. It’s common to have many questions: How do I know if I have pancreatic cancer? What causes pancreatic cancer? What are my treatment options? Where can I get a second opinion? We have answers to help you get ready for your path forward.
Diagnosing pancreatic cancer and second opinions
This guide can help you understand pancreatic cancer symptoms, diagnosis, and what may happen next. If you want to know right away if you have cancer, MSK offers a rapid diagnosis program.
MSK also offers expert second opinions about diagnosis and treatment options. It’s for people who just learned they have cancer, or who want to make sure they’re getting the right treatment.About MSK’s guide to pancreatic cancer
Why choose MSK for pancreatic cancer care?
A team of many kinds of experts in pancreatic cancer
- MSK has one of the country’s largest teams of experts in pancreatic cancer care. This includes medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, genetic counselors, nurses, supportive care experts, and researchers. Together, they create a care plan based on your diagnosis, your goals, and the tumor type.
- Pancreatic cancer care often needs more than one type of treatment. MSK experts work together to recommend the right plan for you. Your care team may include:
- Gastrointestinal (GAS-troh-in-TES-tih-nul) medical oncologists, cancer doctors who specialize in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.
- Gastroenterologists (GAS-troh-EN-teh-RAH-loh-jist), doctors with special training in the GI system.
- Hepatopancreatobiliary (heh-PA-toh-PAN-kree-A-to-BIH-lee-AYR-ee) surgeons. These are doctors with special training in surgery on the pancreas. They’re also called an HPB surgeon.
- Radiation oncologists, cancer doctors with special training in using radiation therapy (RT) to treat cancer.
- Radiologists, doctors with special training in using imaging to diagnose and treat disease.
- The team also includes experts in genetics, nutrition, pain management, rehabilitation, and emotional support.
You may be caring for someone with pancreatic cancer. MSK offers information and support for caregivers.
MSK’s team approach helps us treat the cancer while also supporting your strength, symptoms, nutrition, and quality of life.
MSK offers many clinical trials and new treatment options
Clinical trials are a major part of pancreatic cancer care at MSK. You may be able to research studies for people at many points in treatment.
These studies are looking at new ways to treat pancreatic cancer, such as:
- Therapies matched to genetic changes in tumor genes, such as RAS or KRAS. Mutations in the KRAS gene cause 9 out of 10 pancreatic tumors.
- BRCA and other DNA repair treatments.
- Immunotherapy treatments that help the immune system find and attack cancer.
- Vaccines and other methods that train your body to respond to pancreatic cancer treatment.
- New ways to combine drugs and new agents.
For some people, a clinical trial may offer access to a promising treatment that’s not available anywhere else. Your MSK care team will talk with you about whether a clinical trial is right for you.
Research excellence
MSK is home to the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Its mission is to offer the latest pancreatic cancer treatments and resources. It also supports your physical and emotional well-being.
MSK researchers are studying pancreatic cancer from many angles. We’re looking at tumor biology, genetics, immunotherapy, early detection, surgery, vaccines, and new medicines. This research helps bring discoveries from the research lab right to clinical trials for our patients.
MSK led the first clinical trial to test mRNA vaccines as a possible treatment for pancreatic cancer. The vaccine is made to help train your immune system to spot cancer cells.
National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence
MSK is a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence. This means MSK has passed a strict review of our doctors, programs, and services for people with pancreatic disease.
As a Center of Excellence, MSK offers support services that can be important during pancreatic cancer treatment. They include pain management, symptom control, counseling, nutrition, integrative medicine, rehabilitation, prehabilitation, and clinical trials.
Where is the pancreas and what does it do?
The pancreas is a small gland in your abdomen, or belly. It sits between your stomach and intestines.
The pancreas has 2 main jobs:
- It makes enzymes, which are proteins that help your body digest food.
- It makes hormones, including insulin, that help control the level of sugar in your blood.
Most of the pancreas is made of exocrine cells, which make digestive enzymes. A smaller part is made of endocrine cells, which make hormones.
Pancreatic tumors can start in either exocrine or endocrine cells. Most pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumors, not neuroendocrine tumors.
Types of pancreatic tumors
There are about 20 types of tumors that can grow in the pancreas. Exocrine pancreatic tumors are the most common. More than 9 out of every 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are exocrine tumors.
The most common type of exocrine pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma. Other types include:
- Acinar cell carcinoma
- Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, also called IPMN
- Mucinous cystic neoplasm
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are less common. Fewer than 1 out of every 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are neuroendocrine tumors. They’re sometimes called islet cell tumors.
Why pancreatic cancer needs expert care
Pancreatic cancer can be hard to find early. The pancreas is deep in the body. Most often, a tumor cannot be seen or felt during a regular physical exam.
Many people do not have symptoms in the early stages. A tumor can grow or spread before there are clear signs of cancer.
As a pancreatic tumor grows, it can affect nearby organs, such as the bile duct, intestines, or stomach. It can also grow near important blood vessels. Cancer cells can spread to lymph nodes, the liver, or other parts of the abdomen (belly).
These are all major challenges. That’s why it’s so important that you’re treated by a team of experts in pancreatic cancer. MSK specialists will review your diagnosis, tumor features, genetic information, and overall health. They they’ll recommend the best treatment plan for you.
We have more treatments for pancreatic cancer than ever before.
But only a team of pancreatic experts can offer the most advanced precision (personal) medicine, surgery and other treatment options. And many hospitals do not have access to the latest pancreatic cancer clinical trials with the latest treatments
Personal medicine for your pancreatic cancer treatment
Pancreatic tumors are not the same and need different kinds of treatment. Targeted therapies are cancer treatments that target a tumor’s gene changes (mutations or variants). It’s a personal treatment plan just for the type of cancer you have.
MSK uses information about your tumor to guide treatment decisions. This may include imaging tests, biopsy results, genetic testing, and tumor molecular testing. Genomic testing tells us which mutations may have caused the cancer. This information lets us target those genes for treatment, and can tell us if a clinical trial may be a good fit.
Some people inherited changes in their genes, passed on from their parents. Changes in genes such as BRCA or KRAS can affect treatment choices. Other tumors may have markers that guide treatment options, or whether you can join a certain research study.
Your care team will explain what testing is recommended and what the results may mean for your treatment plan.
Genetic risk for pancreatic cancer
You may be worried about your genetic risk for cancer. About 1 out of every 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are linked to inherited gene changes passed from parents to children. MSK offers genetic risk assessment and counseling for people who may have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. This can help you and your family understand whether genetic testing, screening, or other steps are right for you.
Pancreatic cyst surveillance
Some people have cysts in the pancreas. A cyst is a fluid-filled growth. Most pancreatic cysts are not cancer. Some cysts can raise your risk for getting pancreatic cancer over time.
MSK’s Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program is one of the largest in the country. It has monitored and treated pancreatic cysts for more than 5,000 people. Each year, MSK sees more than 300 new patients who have cysts in the pancreas.
Learn about our Health Information Policy.
