Cancers of the pancreas are divided into groups according to their position within the pancreas and the type of cell that the cancer has started from.
Between 7 and 8 out of 10 of all pancreatic cancers occur in the head of the pancreas (see diagram of the pancreas).
Nearly all pancreatic cancers start from the cells in the inner lining of the pancreatic ducts. These are the channels through which the digestive juices produced by the pancreas flow out into the small bowel. This type of cancer is called adenocarcinoma.
There are other very rare tumours that can affect the pancreas. These include:
- a group of conditions called neuroendocrine tumours, which produce hormones
- a type of lymphoma – a cancer arising from lymphatic tissue in the pancreas
- pancreatic sarcoma, which develops in the tissue that holds together the cells of the pancreas.
Our support service nurses can give you more information about the different types of pancreatic cancer.