The pancreas is an organ that is part of our digestive system. The pancreas makes enzymes and hormones, that help the body digest and absorb nutrients from our foods.
Pancreas cancer represents an abnormal growth of cells that arise from the tissues of the pancreas.
These abnormal cells continue to divide to make more cells, even though the body does not need the new cells. After a while, the accumulation of unneeded new cells results in a mass of extra tissue called a growth or tumor. Cancerous or malignant tumors often outgrow their original site and spread to nearby tissues or organs by entering the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The spread of cancer cells to other areas is called metastasis. Pancreas cancer is the third most common cancer of the digestive system, affecting about 26,000 Americans each year.