Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces the juices that help break down food and the hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer usually begins in the cells that produce the juices. Some risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include:
- Smoking
- Long-term diabetes
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Certain hereditary disorders
Pancreatic cancer is hard to catch early. It doesn't cause symptoms right away. When you do get symptoms, they are often vague or you may not notice them. They include yellowing of the skin and eyes, pain in the abdomen and back, weight loss and fatigue. Also, because the pancreas is hidden behind other organs, health care providers cannot see or feel the tumors during routine exams. Doctors use a physical exam, blood tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy to diagnose it.
Because it is often found late and it spreads quickly, pancreatic cancer can be hard to treat. Possible treatments include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
It sits within Cancers, Digestive System and Endocrine System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Cancer Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Pancreatic Cancer
5,019 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Targeted Therapy Directed by Genetic Testing in Treating Patients With Advanced Refractory Solid Tumors, Lymphomas, or Multiple Myeloma (The MATCH Screening Trial)National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Testing the Addition of a New Anti-cancer Drug, M3814 (Peposertib), to the Usual Radiotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Pancreatic CancerNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Safety and Efficacy of Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) in the Treatment of Pancreatic LesionsThe University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- AMG 410 Alone and in Combination With Other Agents in Participants With KRAS Altered Advanced or Metastatic Solid TumorsAmgen
- Simulation-Free Celiac Plexus Pain Ablation Using Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Patients With Cancer-Related Celiac PainUniversity Health Network, Toronto
- A Study of BMS-986504 Monotherapy and in Combination With Other Agents in Participants With Advanced and/or Metastatic Solid Tumors With Homozygous MTAP Deletion (MountainTAP-5)Bristol-Myers Squibb
Research already completed
- Gemcitabine, Carboplatin, and Lenalidomide for Treatment of Advanced/Metastatic Urothelial Cancer and Other Solid TumorsNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Support Through Remote Observation and Nutrition Guidance (STRONG) Program for Pancreatic Cancer PatientsH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- General Information about Pancreatic CancerNational Cancer Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
- Abdominal exploration - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Amylase TestNational Library of Medicine
- CA 19-9 Blood Test (Pancreatic Cancer)National Library of Medicine
- Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Found Early?American Cancer Society
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Glucagon Blood TestNational Library of Medicine
Treatments and Therapies
- Acupuncture for Pancreatic Cancer PatientsPancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Drugs Approved for Pancreatic CancerNational Cancer Institute
- Pain Treatment and ManagementNational Pancreas Foundation
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Pancreatic Cancer Risk FactorsAmerican Cancer Society
Living With
- 7 Physical Challenges Supportive Care Can HelpPancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Diet After Pancreatic SurgeryPancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Living as a Pancreatic Cancer SurvivorAmerican Cancer Society
- Pain ManagementJohns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology
- Pancreatic Enzymes and SupplementsPancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Quality of LifeJohns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology
Related Issues
- Managing Risk for Cancers Related to Lynch SyndromeCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Genetics
- About Familial Pancreatic Cancer: Pancreatic Cancer Can Be HereditaryJohns Hopkins University, Department of Pathology
Statistics and Research
- Advances in Pancreatic Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute
- Cancer Stat Facts: Pancreatic CancerNational Cancer Institute
- Key Statistics for Pancreatic CancerAmerican Cancer Society
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Islet CellNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pancreatic NeoplasmsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Pancreatic Neoplasms. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Pancreatic Cancer, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.