Facts about Pancreatic Cancer

The Pancreas

The pancreas is located in the abdomen. It is surrounded by the stomach, intestines, and other organs. The pancreas is about 6 inches long and is shaped like a long, flattened pear--wide at one end and narrow at the other. The wide part of the pancreas is called the head, the narrow end is the tail, and the middle section is called the body of the pancreas.

The pancreas is a gland that has two main functions. It makes pancreatic juices, and it produces several hormones, including insulin.

Pancreatic juices contain proteins called enzymes that help digest food. The pancreas releases these juices, as they are needed, into a system of ducts. The main pancreatic duct joins the common bile duct from the liver and gallbladder. (The common bile duct carries bile, a fluid that helps digest fat.) Together these ducts form a short tube that empties into the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.

Pancreatic hormones help the body use or store the energy that comes from food. For example, insulin helps control the amount of sugar (a source of energy) in the blood. The pancreas releases insulin and other hormones when they are needed. The hormones enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body.

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