Types Of Pancreatic Cancer
Depending upon the functional cell involvement, pancreatic cancer can be divided into two main types.
The exocrine tumors are more common. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma accounts for more than 90% of all pancreatic cancers. It is the proliferation in the ductal elements of the pancreas, which feed pancreatic enzymes into the gut. One of its subtypes is the acinar cell carcinoma. This type of cancer results from proliferation of one type of cells, which release fat-digesting enzymes.
The neuroendocrine pancreatic cancers are less common in occurrence. These involve the hormone-secreting cells of the pancreas called islets. Depending upon the specific cell undergoing proliferation, the subtypes include
- Insulinoma: which secrete excessive insulin.
- Glucagonoma: which secretes glucagon.
- Gastrinoma: which secrete excessive gastrin.
- Nonfunctional islet cell tumor: no hormones.
The tumors, which are neuroendocrine in origin are generally slow-growing and less fatal than the tumors of exocrine origin.