Pancreatic cancer is considered to be one of the leading causes of cancer death. The pancreas, an organ located in the abdomen behind the lower part of the stomach, secretes enzymes to aid digestion and hormones to metabolize sugars. According to The Mayo Clinic, even when diagnosed early, pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis. The disease starts in the tissue of the pancreas and spreads rapidly. Due to the lack of symptoms in early stages most cases of pancreatic cancer are not diagnosed until it is in late stage form.

The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 43,920 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the year 2012 and 37,390 deaths from the disease.

The links below contain important information about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatic cancer.