Reviewed by:
Assoc Prof James St John - MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRACP, AGAF
Dr Lara Lipton - MBBS, PhD and FRACP
Dr Suzanne Kosmider - MBBS, FRACP
Mr Benjamin Thomson, MBBS FRACS, Consultant Hepatobiliary Surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital
Taken from: 
Pancreatic cancer booklet (2.1MB)
How common is pancreatic cancer?
The pancreas is a thin, lumpy gland that lies between your stomach and your spine. It is normally about 13 cm (or six inches) long and is joined by a duct (the ‘pancreatic duct') to the first part of the small bowel (the duodenum).
The pancreas plays two major roles in your body's digestive system.
The most common type of pancreatic cancer is calles 'adenocarcinoma'. It begins in the lining of the pancreatic duct. It usually occurs in the head of the pancreas (see illustration), where it may obstruct the bile duct and cause jaundice. It may also spread to nearby nerves and lymph nodes and may cause pain.
Cancer that develops in the pancreas may spread via the lymphatic system or blood to other parts of the body.
Pancreatic cancer is caused by damage to genes, but it is not known exactly why this damage happens. The risk of pancreatic cancer is greater for smokers.
Other risk factors can include:
Around 560 Victorians develop a cancer of this type each year. It is more common over the age of 65 and is relatively uncommon in people under 50.
