This year, an estimated 55,440 adults (29,200 men and 26,240 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The disease causes approximately 3% of all cancers. Incidence rates are 25% higher in black people than in white people. It is estimated that 44,330 deaths (23,020 men and 21,310 women) from this disease will occur this year. Pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women. It accounts for 7% of all cancer deaths.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

The best treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on how far it has spread, or its stage. The stages of pancreatic cancer are easy to understand. What is difficult is attempting to stage pancreatic cancer without resorting to major surgery. In practice, doctors choose pancreatic cancer treatments based upon imaging studies, surgical findings, and an individual’s general state of well being. Stage is a term used in cancer treatment to describe the extent of the cancer’s spread. The stages of pancreatic cancer are used to guide treatment and to classify patients for clinical trials. Click here for details about the stages of pancreatic cancer.