The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 29,000 individuals are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year. The pancreas is a gland in the abdomen, located between the stomach and spine. It has two different types of cells: endocrine, which produce hormones like insulin; and exocrine, which make enzymes that help digest food and absorb nutrients. There are various kinds of pancreatic cancer, including endocrine tumors and exocrine.
Ampullary Cancer
This is a special kind of cancer that occurs at the ampulla of Vater, which is the place where the bile duct and pancreatic duct meet and go into the duodenum, according to the American Cancer Society. Although they are not technically pancreatic cancers, they are often grouped with the exocrine tumors because they are treated similarly. Tumors of this kind typically block the bile duct and causes jaundice, which leads to earlier diagnosis than other pancreatic cancers.
Exocrine Tumors
Exocrine cancers comprise the majority of pancreatic cancers, and 95 percent of these are adenocarcinomas, according to the American Cancer Society. Adenocarcinomas form in gland cells, and typically start in pancreatic ducts, but can also arise from cells that form enzymes in the pancreas. Other types of exocrine pancreatic cancers include adenosquamous carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and giant cell carcinomas. For pancreatic cancer, treatment is generally determined by the stage and extent of the cancer, not the type.
Endocrine Tumors
Endocrine tumors are fairly rare, comprising only 1 percent of all pancreatic cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. These tumors are grouped together in a category called pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) or islet cell tumors. There are various types of these tumors, and they are named after the kind of cell from which they start. Examples include insulinomas, which start in cells that make insulin; gastrinomas, from cells that make gastrin; and PPomas, which arise from cells that produce pancreatic polypeptide. The treatment for endocrine tumors depends on the kind of tumor, and prognosis tends to be better for these pancreatic cancers than exocrine pancreatic cancers.
