The other cancers of the pancreas develop in the pancreatic endocrine or islet glands, which produce hormones such as insulin that are released directly into the bloodstream ( see "Islet Cell and Other Pancreatic Carcinomas" ).
How It Spreads Two-thirds of pancreatic cancers are located in the head of the organ (right side), one-third in the body and tail (left side).( See Diagram ) Tumor cells may spread to adjacent structures by direct extension and/or lymphatic metastasis to the small intestine (duodenum), bile duct, stomach, spleen , colon and lymph nodes (regional, celiac and supraclavicular). The most common sites for distant metastases are the liver, peritoneum (by lymphatic spread) and lungs (by spread through the bloodstream).
What Causes It It is not definitely known what causes pancreatic cancer, although age is a factor. There also may be racial or dietary factors. Smoking increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer threefold. Concerns have been raised about the role of coffee, but there is no proof of an association.
