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Sub-Category:

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Symptoms:
abdominal pain radiating to the back; unexplained weight loss; jaundice; loss of appetite; nausea; vomiting; new-onset diabetes; fatigue

Root Cause:
Malignant tumor originating from the exocrine cells of the pancreas, often associated with mutations in KRAS, p53, or SMAD4 genes. It often causes obstruction of the bile ducts or invasion of nearby tissues.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like CT or MRI scans; endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with biopsy; CA 19-9 tumor marker blood test; fine-needle aspiration biopsy

Treatment:
Surgical resection (e.g., Whipple procedure); chemotherapy (e.g., FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-based regimens); radiotherapy for localized tumors; palliative care for symptom management in advanced cases

Medications:
Chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine (antimetabolite), nab-paclitaxel (microtubule inhibitor), or FOLFIRINOX (combination regimen including oxaliplatin , irinotecan , fluorouracil , and leucovorin ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for approximately 90% of pancreatic cancers; globally, it is the 7th leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking; chronic pancreatitis; family history of pancreatic cancer; obesity; type 2 diabetes; genetic syndromes such as BRCA mutations or Lynch syndrome

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor prognosis; the 5-year survival rate is approximately 10%, with earlier detection improving outcomes.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Obstruction of the bile duct or intestines; diabetes; malnutrition; metastasis to the liver or peritoneum; pain requiring intensive palliative care

Neuroendocrine Tumors (e.g., Insulinoma, Glucagonoma)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Pancreatic Tumors

Symptoms:
hypoglycemia symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, confusion, seizures (in insulinoma); hyperglycemia, weight loss, necrolytic migratory erythema (in glucagonoma); diarrhea; abdominal pain; flushing (in other nets)

Root Cause:
Tumors arising from the endocrine cells of the pancreas, often secreting hormones like insulin or glucagon in excess, leading to systemic metabolic effects.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Hormone level measurement in blood (e.g., insulin, glucagon, gastrin); imaging such as CT, MRI, or somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS); EUS-guided biopsy; functional imaging like DOTATATE PET scan

Treatment:
Surgical resection is the primary treatment for localized tumors; somatostatin analogs like octreotide or lanreotide for hormone control; targeted therapies (e.g., everolimus or sunitinib); peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) for metastatic disease

Medications:
Somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide and lanreotide ) to control hormone secretion and tumor growth; everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) or sunitinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) for advanced or metastatic disease.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; accounts for about 7% of all pancreatic cancers; incidence is approximately 1-5 per 100,000 population annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1); family history of NETs; chronic pancreatitis

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; depends on tumor type, size, and stage. Insulinomas typically have an excellent prognosis if surgically removed, while metastatic NETs have a median survival of 5-10 years with treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Hormonal crises (e.g., severe hypoglycemia in insulinoma); metastasis to the liver or bone; nutritional deficiencies; intestinal obstruction or ischemia in advanced cases