Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the pancreas, an organ that helps with digestion and blood sugar control. This cancer affects the cells lining the ducts of the pancreas, causing them to grow uncontrollably. It often leads to symptoms like abdominal pain, weight loss, and jaundice due to bile duct obstruction. Because the pancreas is located deep in the abdomen, the cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. The disease can spread to other organs, making it difficult to treat. Early detection is challenging, and it significantly impacts overall health by interfering with digestion and metabolism.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a malignant neoplasm arising from the ductal epithelium of the pancreas, characterized by aggressive local invasion and early metastasis. It is most commonly caused by mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes such as KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4. The tumor typically presents as a firm, poorly defined mass in the pancreatic head, leading to obstructive jaundice when the bile duct is compressed. Clinically, it manifests with weight loss, epigastric pain, and sometimes new-onset diabetes mellitus. The disease has a poor prognosis due to late presentation and resistance to conventional therapies. Histologically, it shows gland-forming adenocarcinoma with a desmoplastic stroma. It is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality.