ABSTRACT
Pancreatic cancer represents a major public health problem and accounts for around 5% of all cancer deaths. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and the fifth in women in the United States. Pancreatic cancer has been associated with a number of key environmental/lifestyle determinants including cigarette smoking, diet and alcohol consumption. Mutations in genes implicated in a number of inherited cancer syndromes are also associated with familial pancreatic cancer. The initial presentation of pancreatic cancer depends on the location of the tumour within the pancreas. The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually based on the results of abdominal ultrasound scan, computed tomography scanning, endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography and/or magnetic resonance cholangio pancreatography. Patients with pancreatic cancer are often debilitated by a number of problems indirectly related to their disease. Duodenal obstruction, resulting in gastric outlet obstruction, occurs in up to 40% of patients with tumours in the head of pancreas.
