Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
CancerPancreatic Cancer

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?
Everyday Health
By
Updated on February 23, 2026
by

Pancreatic cancer happens when malignant (cancerous) cells form in your pancreas. This is an organ located between your stomach and your spine, deep within your abdomen.

Though relatively rare, pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, behind lung and colorectal cancers and ahead of breast cancer.

Pancreatic cancer can be treated, but it has few detectable symptoms in earlier stages. It’s often not diagnosed until it has spread (metastasized) beyond the pancreas to the lymph nodes or other organs, or has become advanced with growth into surrounding tissues.

Types of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic tumors are either exocrine or neuroendocrine (endocrine) tumors. Knowing the type of tumor is important because each type behaves differently and responds to different treatments.

Exocrine Pancreatic Tumors

The vast majority (more than 90 percent) of pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumors. These occur in the exocrine component of the pancreas, which is made up of ducts and small sacs at the ends of the ducts. These produce enzymes that help the body break down and digest food — especially fats — in the small intestine.

The most common type of exocrine pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that forms in mucus-secreting gland cells.

Other less common exocrine cancers include adenosquamous carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, signet ring cell carcinomas, acinar cell carcinomas, undifferentiated carcinomas, and undifferentiated carcinomas with giant cells.

Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Tumors

Less than 10 percent of pancreatic cancers are neuroendocrine tumors (pancreatic NETs or PNETs), also called islet cell tumors. These often grow more slowly than exocrine tumors.

The endocrine component of the pancreas is made up of clumps of cells located throughout the organ. These secrete hormones that play various roles in regulating the body’s metabolism. One of the most critical of these hormones is insulin, which helps control blood glucose levels.

Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is often called a “silent killer,” because symptoms may not develop right away or be obvious when they do emerge. Screening tests are sometimes recommended in people with a family history of pancreatic cancer.

As tumors grow, many of the pancreatic cancer symptoms that develop can mimic symptoms of other medical conditions. These can include:

  • Bloating and gas
  • Gastrointestinal discomfort or burning sensation in the stomach
  • Foul-smelling diarrhea or greasy, floating stools
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unintended weight loss
  • Upper back or upper abdomen pain
  • Swelling in an arm or leg
  • Signs of jaundice, like yellowing skin and eyes and dark urine
  • Chills and sweats
  • Fever

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can vary depending on how advanced the cancer is. People often have no symptoms at all in the early stages.

Illustrative graphic titled Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms shows Fever, Chills, Nausea or Vomiting, Appetite Loss, Upper Back or Abdominal Pain, Bloating, Gastrointestinal Discomfort, Diarrhea or Greasy Stools, Swelling of Arm or Leg, Weakness or Fatigue..
Everyday Health

Causes and Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer

While the exact cause of pancreatic cancer isn’t clear, several factors can increase your risk. Some risk factors for pancreatic cancer are related to lifestyle choices and environmental factors and may be modifiable. Other risk factors for pancreatic cancer — such as age and race — can’t be changed.

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include:

  • Smoking About 25 percent of cases are thought to be caused by cigarette smoking.
  • Being Overweight or Having Obesity People with obesity are about 20 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
  • Type 2 Diabetes People who have had type 2 diabetes for five years or more have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
  • Heavy Alcohol Use Heavy drinking can lead to pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
  • Chronic Pancreatitis Pancreatitis is often tied to heavy drinking and smoking.
  • Workplace Exposure to Certain Chemicals Chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning and metal working may increase the risk for pancreatic cancer.
  • Inherited Genetic Syndromes These include certain hereditary forms of breast and ovarian cancer, melanoma, and pancreatitis, as well as two rare disorders — Lynch syndrome and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.
  • Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the Pancreas (IPMN) This is a typically benign cyst on a pancreatic duct. It's often found by CT scan and may turn cancerous.

How Is Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosed?

Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed using various tests, including:

  • Noninvasive Imaging Tests To get a better look at the pancreas, your doctor may order tests such as an ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
  • Endoscopic Ultrasound This test involves inserting a thin, flexible tube into the mouth, through the digestive tract, and into the small intestine, which is close to the pancreas. A probe at the end of the endoscope uses sound waves to create an image of the pancreas that may reveal cancer.
  • Biopsy Your doctor may remove a small sample of tissue and examine it under a microscope to see if it contains cancerous cells. This is typically done during an endoscopic ultrasound but can also be performed by inserting a needle through the skin and into the pancreas.
  • Blood Tests Blood tests can identify certain proteins — tumor markers shed by cancer cells that can help determine what type of pancreatic cancer you have and what treatment approach is likely to work best.

Once pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, it’s staged. This involves assigning a value to how far the cancer has advanced.

Staging is often measured in numbers 0 to 4. The lowest stage, stage 0, means only abnormal cells are present in the pancreatic lining. There's a chance these cells could become cancerous. Stage 0 is often referred to as carcinoma in situ. The highest stage, stage 4, means the cancer has spread to distant organs.

Treatment Options for Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment options for pancreatic cancer vary based on the cancer stage and are also influenced by a patient’s age, overall health, and personal preferences. Pancreatic cancer may be treated by one or a combination of interventions.

Surgery

Fewer than 1 in 5 cases of pancreatic cancer are caught when the cancer is confined to the pancreas, and of those, not all can be treated with surgery alone.

The main types of surgery are a Whipple procedure or a pancreatectomy.

In a Whipple procedure, the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas, a part of the small intestine called the duodenum, and the gallbladder and bile duct. The surgeon then reconnects the digestive tract and biliary system.

A pancreatectomy is the removal of part or all of the pancreas.

Surgery may be followed or preceded by chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the risk of recurrence or preceded by these interventions to shrink the tumor before attempting to remove it. Risks of surgery can include bleeding, digestive problems, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes resulting from the loss of insulin production in the pancreas.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment (meaning it affects the entire body) in which drugs designed to kill cancer cells are delivered into the bloodstream intravenously. Chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer and may be used in conjunction with radiation, surgery, and other treatments.

For people healthy enough to receive a combination, two or more chemotherapy drugs are typically given together. The most common chemotherapy drugs approved to treat pancreatic cancer include albumin-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane) and irinotecan (Onivyde).

Side effects of chemotherapy may include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, nerve pain, and infections, among others.

Radiation

With radiation therapy, a machine delivers high-energy rays to areas of the body where cancer has been found. These rays can help stop cancer cells from continuing to grow and spread.

External beam radiation therapy — the type most frequently used in pancreatic cancer — is usually given five days a week for two to five weeks. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes and may be used in conjunction with other therapies for pancreatic cancer.

External beam radiation is the most common type of radiation used to treat pancreatic cancer. Radiation side effects can include fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea.

Tumor Treating Fields

Optune Pax is a noninvasive device that uses alternating electrical fields, or tumor treating fields, to slow cancer cell growth. It uses electrical signals to disrupt the rapid cell division process that's typical in cancer cells and limit harm to healthy cells.

These electrical signals are delivered through adhesive patches placed on your abdomen as appropriate. Unlike other treatments given in a doctor’s office, this device is designed to be worn throughout the day.

It was FDA-approved in early 2026 to treat pancreatic cancer that hasn’t spread. A clinical study showed that patients who wore this device along with following a chemotherapy treatment plan lived an average of two months longer than those who got chemotherapy alone.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer target specific genes or proteins in certain tumors with little to no damage to healthy cells. They can be given via injection, orally, or intravenously.

Drugs in this category approved for exocrine pancreatic tumors include fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu), sotorasib (Lumakras), and zenocutuzumab-zbco (Bizengri).

The targeted therapies approved for neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors are everolimus (Afinitor) and sunitinib (Sutent).

Olaparib (Lynparza) can be useful for some people with hereditary cancer genes.

Because targeted therapies are more specific for cancer cells, they often cause fewer side effects than other treatments. When side effects do occur, they may include nausea, vomiting, rashes, and lowered blood cell counts. Side effects differ depending on the patient and the specific drug.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, delivered intravenously or as an oral medication, enhances the immune system’s ability to attack cancer. This method can be effective for a minority of patients whose cancers have a defective cellular repair system.

Currently, the only FDA-approved immunotherapies for pancreatic cancer are dostarlimab (Jemperli) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

Medication side effects can include skin rashes and other signs of an overactive immune system.

Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer

While there isn’t a specific way to avoid pancreatic cancer altogether, you can take some steps to lower your risk. These include:

  • If you smoke, get help quitting. Smoking is considered the most significant risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
  • Stay at a healthy weight. Losing weight if you are overweight or have obesity can help lower your risk of pancreatic cancer.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol. Heavy alcohol use is linked to pancreatic cancer; it’s also tied to a condition known as chronic pancreatitis, a known risk factor for the disease.
  • Ask your doctor about screening. For patients with inherited familial cancer genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, or a benign pancreatic nodule, follow your doctor’s advice on getting recommended cancer screening tests.

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

The length of time a person lives after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the cancer; whether the tumor is resectable, borderline, or nonresectable; treatment options; and other factors. While overall survival rates are low compared with other cancers, they are gradually increasing.

When pancreatic cancer is caught early, the five-year survival rate for localized tumors (those that haven’t spread to surrounding tissue and organs) is about 44 percent. The survival rate drops significantly for more-advanced cancers.

Overall, the five-year survival rate is 13 percent.

Support for People With Pancreatic Cancer

Some of the organizations that offer online or in-person support groups for pancreatic cancer patients, survivors, and families include:

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan) is a nationwide organization dedicated to patient education and advocacy. PanCan offers an up-to-date list of in-person pancreatic cancer support groups across the country, as well as online support services.

The American Cancer Society offers in-person support groups across the country, as well as online communities like the Cancer Survivors Network, which provides discussion boards and live chats for patients, survivors, and caregivers.

CancerCare is a national organization offering free emotional and practical support for cancer patients and their families. Online and in-person support groups, run by an oncology social worker, are available to people with pancreatic cancer and their loved ones.

The Takeaway

  • Pancreatic cancer occurs when cancerous cells form in the pancreas. Because early pancreatic cancer often doesn't cause symptoms, it may have spread to other areas of the body by the time it’s diagnosed.
  • People who smoke, drink heavily, have diabetes, or have chronic pancreatitis are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Genetics and race also affect risk.
  • Pancreatic cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy.
  • Because it is an aggressive cancer, pancreatic cancer is often fatal, with an overall five-year survival rate of 13 percent.

FAQ

What is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is cancer that forms in the organ known as the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland that produces digestive juices and hormones that aid digestion and help regulate blood sugar.

There are a variety of risk factors for pancreatic cancer, including obesity, smoking, and inherited genetic genes, such as BRCA mutations.

Cancer of the pancreas can be cured if found early, before it has spread outside of the pancreas. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is often not detected until it is more advanced, when it has spread or to other organs in the body.

Among the reasons that pancreatic cancer tends to be deadly are that it’s often diagnosed at a late stage, that there is no easy screening test for it, and that it tends to spread easily.

Resources We Trust

Additional reporting by Christina Frank.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Lara PN et al. Cancer statistics, 2026: Charting a course for a national cancer research agenda. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. January 13, 2026.
  2. Survival Rates for Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society.
  3. What Is Pancreatic Cancer? The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
  4. What Is Pancreatic Cancer? American Cancer Society.
  5. Physiology, Pancreas. StatPearls. May 1, 2023.
  6. Aslanian HR et al. AGA Clinical Practice Update on Pancreas Cancer Screening in High-Risk Individuals: Expert Review. Gastroenterology. July 2020.
  7. Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms and Signs. Cancer.Net.
  8. City of Hope. Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms. May 10, 2022.
  9. Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors. American Cancer Society.
  10. Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (IPMN). Cleveland Clinic.
  11. Pancreatic Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic.
  12. Pancreatic Cancer Stages. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  13. Treating Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society.
  14. Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society.
  15. Whipple Procedure. Pancreatic Action Network.
  16. Whipple Procedure. Mayo Clinic.
  17. Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
  18. Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society. February 5, 2024.
  19. Radiation Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
  20. FDA Approves First-of-Its-Kind Device to Treat Pancreatic Cancer. U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration. February 12, 2026.
  21. Targeted Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Action Network.
  22. Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
  23. Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society. February 5, 2024.
  24. Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Prevented? American Cancer Society.
  25. Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network

Tawee Tanvetyanon, MD, MPH

Medical Reviewer

Tawee Tanvetyanon, MD, MPH, is a professor of oncologic sciences and senior member at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is a practicing medical oncologist specializing in lung cancer, thymic malignancy, and mesothelioma.

A physician manager of lung cancer screening program, he also serves as a faculty panelist for NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) guidelines in non-small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma, and smoking cessation. To date, he has authored or coauthored over 100 biomedical publications indexed by Pubmed.

See full bio
Pam-Kaufman-article

Pamela Kaufman

Author

Pamela Kaufman assigns and edits stories about infectious diseases and general health topics and strategizes on news coverage. She began her journalism career as a junior editor on the health and fitness beat at Vogue, followed by a long stint at Food & Wine, where she rose through the ranks to become executive editor. Kaufman has written for Rutgers University and Fordham Law School and was selected for a 2022 Health Journalism Fellowship from the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kaufman enjoys going on restaurant adventures, reading novels, making soup in her slow cooker, and hanging out with her dog. She lives in New York City with her husband and two kids.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network