A hormone produced by the endocrine islets of Langerhans cells of the pancreas. When blood sugar levels are low, glucagon acts to raise blood sugar levels.
A green pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen just under the liver. The gallbladder is essentially a reservoir for holding bile. Gemzar is the trade name for the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine.
It is frequently used to treat pancreatic cancer. It has been shown, in controlled clinical trials, to improve quality of life. The exocrine cells acinar cells of the pancreas produce and transport chemicals that will exit the body through the digestive system. The chemicals that the exocrine cells produce are called enzymes.
They are secreted in the duodenum where they assist in the digestion of food. A chemical that causes a reaction in other substances, in this case as a part of the digestive process. A test used to visualize and examine the pancreas and bile ducts. A tube is inserted through a patient's nose or throat , down through the esophagus and stomach then into the small intestine duodenum.
There, a small probe is inserted into the ampulla of Vater. A dye is injected through the probe and into the pancreatic and bile ducts. X-rays are then taken to visualize the pancreatic and bile ducts. Surgical removal of a structure or part of a structure. For example, pancreat ectomy is the surgical removal of the pancreas or a portion of it. These are specialized cells that produce hormones released into the bloodstream.
For example, the islets of Langerhans are endocrine cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin. This hormone helps control blood sugar glucose levels. Some rare tumors of the pancreas, the endocrine Islet Cell tumors, can produce these same hormones.
It is very important that these rare tumors be properly diagnosed because it will determine the treatment and prognosis. The first portion of the small intestine. It is about 1 foot long. It is the part of the intestinal track that comes after the stomach.
A dome shaped muscle that separates the lungs and heart from the abdomen. This muscle assists in breathing. A small anatomic structure. This is essentially a tube that carries various bodily fluids. The pancreatic duct runs the full length of the pancreas and drains into the duodenum. The disease in which the body is unable to appropriately control blood sugar glucose levels.
This may be caused by failure of the pancreas to produce adequate amounts of insulin. A dye, taken by mouth or injected, that is sometimes used during x-ray examinations to highlight areas that otherwise might not be seen. A fluid filled sac. Some tumors of the pancreas, including the serous cystadenomas and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, form cysts. Cysts have a distinct appearance in CT scans. They are important to recognize because the treatment of cystic tumors can differ from that for solid tumors.
The treatment of a cancer by chemicals. For pancreatic cancer these include: Gemzar Gemcitabine , 5-flurouracil, leukovorin, taxol, and others. A way to image internal organs. A series of x-ray pictures taken by a machine that encircles the body like a giant tube. Computers are then used to generate cross-sectional images of the inside of the body. A blood marker for pancreas cancer. It is not a good screening test for diagnosing possible pancreas cancers in individuals without symptoms.
Instead, it can be useful in following the progress of patients known to have a cancer by measuring how their cancer is responding to treatment. A malignant tumor. It has the potential of invading into the adjacent tissues, spreading to other organs and may eventually lead to the patient's death. The middle part of the pancreas between the neck and the tail.
The superior mesenteric blood vessels run behind this part of the gland. A green fluid produced by the liver that helps digest fats. It is transported from the liver to the duodenum by the bile duct. When the flow of bile is blocked, patients may become jaundiced yellow skinned. A duct that carries bile from the liver to the intestine.
This term may refer to the hepatic, cystic or common bile duct. Tumors which are non-cancerous. These generally grow slowly and do not invade adjacent organs or spread metastasize beyond the pancreas.
A radiographic technique used to visualize blood vessels. A contrast medium a dye is usually injected into the vessels to make them appear white on the x-rays. The large artery that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart. From the heart it arches backwards and descends into the abdomen where it gives off many branches to supply the organs.
The superior mesenteric artery is a major branch of the aorta that can be involved by pancreatic cancer. The collection of excess amounts of fluid in the abdominal cavity belly. It often is a sign that the cancer has spread to either the liver or to the portal vein that goes to the liver, or that the cancer involves the internal lining of the abdomen. If normal liver function is affected, a complex set of biochemical checks and balances is disrupted and abnormal amounts of fluid are retained.
A surgical joining of two hollow structures. It is similar to attaching two ends of a garden hose. For example, a gastrojejunostomy is a surgical procedure that connects the stomach and the jejunum small intestine. A condition characterized by a deficiency in red blood cells.
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Please consult the latest official manual style if you have any questions regarding the format accuracy. Neoplasia is new growth. The terms benign and malignant correlate to the course of the neoplasm.
Benign neoplasms stay localized in one place; malignant neoplasms invade surrounding tissue and, in most cases, can metastasize to distant organs. To become neoplastic, a normal cell must develop mutations that allow it to no longer obey boundaries of adjacent cells, thus allowing for uncontrolled growth, and the neoplasm must be able to produce its own blood supply.
If the neoplasm is malignant, the cells must also gain the ability to invade the basement membrane and surrounding tissue, enter the blood stream, and spread to and grow within distant organs. This chapter will discuss the basic terms associated with neoplasia, features used to distinguish benign neoplasms from malignant neoplasms, epidemiology and etiology of neoplasms, effects of tumors including paraneoplastic syndromes , basic carcinogenesis including proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes , diagnosis including tumor markers and immunohistochemistry , and basic grading and staging.
Overview: The terms tumor, nodule, and mass are nonspecific terms that refer to an abnormal proliferation of cells.
The term neoplasm means new growth and does not imply benign or malignant i. Nomenclature for general categories of neoplasms. Adenoma: Benign neoplasm derived from glandular cells. Carcinoma: Malignant neoplasm derived from epithelial cells Figures and Sarcoma: Malignant neoplasm derived from mesenchymal cells e. Lymphoma: Malignant neoplasm derived from lymphocytes. Melanoma: Malignant neoplasm derived from melanocytes. Germ cell tumor: Malignant neoplasm derived from germ cells.
Other times, though, tumors grow in the organs, for example, where they cannot be felt, and they can go undetected until symptoms such as fever, fatigue, bleeding, or pain, among others, develop. If cancer is suspected, doctors will perform the following diagnostic tests to gather more information:. At Yale Medicine, our radiologists and pathologists specialize in cancer types so that you have the most experienced, highly skilled eye looking at your diagnostic imaging or biopsy.
If a neoplasm is determined to be cancerous, Yale Medicine doctors hold weekly meetings called tumor boards where 30 specialists review active cases and determine the most effective treatment option for each patient. In many cases, tumors are evaluated for the specific gene mutations that can make them unique and this allows for targeted therapies that are adjusted according to the best chance of response. This is the principle of precision medicine that is commonly applied at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
Skip to Main Content. Print Share Download. What is a neoplasm or tumor? What are benign tumors? What are malignant tumors? How are tumors detected? If cancer is suspected, doctors will perform the following diagnostic tests to gather more information: Lab work to check the levels of certain chemicals or hormones in the blood, urine, and other bodily fluids. These fluids are evaluated by a pathologist.
Levels that are too high or too low may be a marker of cancer.
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