Pathologist’s Corner – Dr. Eric Chand on Pancreatic Cancer

To understand pancreatic cancer, it helps to know about the normal pancreas and what it does. The pancreas lies between the stomach and the spine and is about 6 inches long. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle section is called the body, and the narrow end is called the tail. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen (belly), behind where the stomach meets the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The body of the pancreas is behind the stomach, and the tail of the pancreas is on the left side of the abdomen next to the spleen.

The pancreas is a gland and has two main functions: 1) to make juices that help digest (break down) food (exocrine pancreas cells) and 2) to make hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, that help control blood sugar levels. Both of these hormones help the body use and store the energy it gets from food. The hormones are made by endocrine pancreatic cells. Read more…