Think of the pancreas as two separate glands found
inside the same organ. Over 95% of the cells
in the pancreas form exocrine glands and ducts.
A small percentage of the cells in the pancreas
are endocrine cells.
Exocrine cells of the pancreas can form benign tumors,
although they are much more likely to form cancers.
About 95% of cancers of the exocrine pancreas are
adenocarcinomas. Less common cancers of the exocrine
pancreas include adenosquamous carcinomas, squamous
cell carcinomas, and giant cell carcinomas. Treatment
of an exocrine pancreatic cancer is mostly based
on how far it metastasized, however, and not its
exact type.
Tumors of the endocrine pancreas are much less common.
As a group, they are known as neuroendocrine tumors,
or more specifically, islet cell tumors. There are
several subtypes of islet cell tumors that are named
according to the type of hormone they produce. Most
islet cell tumors are benign.
It is very important to distinguish exocrine and
endocrine cancers of the pancreas from one another.
Each type of tumor has distinct risk factors and
causes; produces different signs and symptoms; are
diagnosed using different tests, are treated in different
ways, and have a different prognosis (outlook for
survival).
Source: American Cancer Society
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