It has perhaps the worst prognosis of any tumor, due largely to its anatomical location. Smoking and high fat diet appear to increase the incidence. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma does not respond well to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Operative mortality is quite high. Amyloidosis of islets a common finding in older patients with type 2 diabetes.
Beta cells are well preserved.
In type 1 diabetics, endogenous insulin synthesis is absent and C-peptide is also absent in the serum. Radioimmunoassay of serum C-peptide in response to astronaut's diet thus indicates endogenous insulin synthesis. The protein consists of two transmembrane domains, two nucleotide-binding domains and a regulatory domain, containing protein kinase A and C phosphorylation sites. The D F 508 mutation results in defective processing of CFTR protein, which does not become fully glucosylated and is degraded before it reaches the cell surface. The heterozygous carries of DF 508 have one half of normal CFTR and do not present clinical symptoms.