The pancreas is a digestive organ that secretes many substances to help the body digest and metabolize food. The pancreas is located in the middle abdomen, behind the stomach, and is shaped somewhat like a fish. It is divided into three parts: the head of the pancreas, the body of the pancreas and the tail of the pancreas. The pancreas is about 15 cm long, with an average width of 5 cm, and runs transversely in the abdominal cavity. The head of the pancreas is located on the right side of the abdominal cavity, behind the junction of the stomach and duodenum; the body of the pancreas is behind the stomach; and the tail of the pancreas is on the left side of the abdomen, next to the spleen. The pancreas has an exocrine function. Exocrine means that the pancreas can secrete pancreatic juice, which contains many enzymes that can digest fat, protein and starch in food. About 95% of the pancreatic cells have exocrine function, and the other few are endocrine cells. The secreted substances are distributed inside the pancreas and are called islets. Islet cells secrete two hormones, the latter of which has the effect of raising blood sugar. Therefore, the pancreas plays an important role in the regulation of blood glucose in the body. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is low, accounting for 1%-2% of malignant tumors, with the head of the pancreas being the most common, accounting for 3/4 of the cases, followed by the body and tail of the pancreas. It is more common in men and the ratio of men to women is 2:1. In recent years, there is a significant trend of increase, which may be related to the change of dietary composition of the population, such as high fat and animal protein in the diet and chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. The disease has a high degree of malignancy, mostly occurring in the age of 40-60 years, with a peak incidence around 60 years old. The incidence of pancreatic cancer has been on the rise worldwide in recent years, and the incidence and mortality rate of pancreatic cancer in the United States ranks fourth among male and female malignant tumors. Due to the atypical early symptoms and difficulty in diagnosis, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer is poor. Risk factors The etiology of pancreatic cancer is not fully understood, but may be related to smoking, diet, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, gastric ulcer, gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, gallstone disease, environmental pollution, genetic factors and genetic abnormalities. Although the following symptoms are not specific to pancreatic cancer, it is not easy to detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage, so anyone who has these symptoms should go to a specialist hospital as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of pancreatic cancer. 1. Upper abdominal discomfort and hidden pain are the most common first symptoms of pancreatic cancer. At the beginning, the pain is mild, mostly manifesting as upper abdominal fullness, lack of appetite and vague pain, etc. The nature of pain is dull, colic or severe pain. Jaundice is the prominent manifestation of pancreatic head cancer. About 70% of patients can see jaundice, and about 25% of patients have this as the first symptom, and it is often obstructive jaundice, which is characterized by yellowing of sclera, brown skin and itching. The stool may be clay-colored and the urine may be soy sauce-colored. 3. Loss of appetite, emaciation, weakness and weight loss: Due to less secretion of pancreatic juice and reduced ability to digest fat, patients are averse to eating greasy things and suffer from indigestion, accounting for more than 60%. The wasting of pancreatic cancer patients is more obvious than other symptoms, and patients mostly lose 5~10kg in 1-2 months, and this symptom is easy to be ignored. 4. Diarrhea: Patients with pancreatic cancer have chronic diarrhea, with increased volume and frequency of stool, grayish paste, oily, without pus and blood, not accompanied by abdominal pain and discomfort, the cause of which is unknown. 5. Abdominal mass: About half of the patients with pancreatic tail cancer have already found abdominal mass at the time of admission, indicating that it is already in advanced stage, and the mass is mostly peritoneal metastasis or enlarged liver. 6.Gallbladder enlargement; due to bile duct obstruction, causing bile retention and gallbladder enlargement, which can be found through physical examination or ultrasound. 7. Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer may develop ascites and concomitant diabetes. Prevention of pancreatic cancer 1. Prohibition of smoking and alcohol, less food high in animal fat and animal protein, more fresh vegetables and fruits, regular screening for staff with diabetes, pancreatitis and long-term exposure to chemical carcinogens, and preferably regular annual checkups. 2. Pay attention to self-examination: pay attention to your digestive function frequently. An adult who suddenly develops obvious indigestion and diarrhea should be taken seriously. 3. Pay attention to danger signs: ① gradually worsening jaundice; ② unexplained persistent diarrhea and back pain; ③ sudden unexplained weight loss; ④ diabetes mellitus that cannot be controlled by medication.