Pancreatic Diseases
Where It All Starts: Your Pancreas
Learn how your pancreas works, what can affect it, and explore trusted information about pancreatic diseases and conditions.
What Is the Pancreas?
Your pancreas is an organ located in the upper part of your abdomen (belly). It sits behind your stomach and near the first part of your small intestine. Although it is only about 6 inches long, the pancreas plays an important role in digestion and helping regulate blood sugar.
The pancreas also contains a main pancreatic duct, along withsmaller branches and, in some people, an accessory duct. The main pancreaticduct runs through the pancreas and carries digestive juices to the duodenum,the first part of the small intestine. Near the intestine, the pancreatic ductusually joins the bile duct. Pancreatic juices and bile then enter the smallintestine, where they help digest food.
What Does the Pancreas Do?
The pancreas has two main functions: digestion and blood sugar control.
Exocrine (digestion)
The pancreas makes digestive enzymes that help break down the food you eat, including fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. These enzymes travel through the pancreatic duct into the small intestine, where they help your body absorb important nutrients.
Endocrine (blood sugar control)
The pancreas also makes hormones, including insulin and glucagon, that help keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Insulin lowers blood sugar by moving glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy, while glucagon raises blood sugar when levels drop too low.
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What Conditions Can Affect the Pancreas?
Pancreatic diseases can affect digestion, blood sugar, or both. Learn more about the diseases and conditions that can affect your pancreas.
The Pancreas and Cancer
Most pancreatic cancers begin in the exocrine pancreas. The most common type is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which develops from cells associated with the pancreatic ducts. Less commonly, tumors can develop from the pancreas' hormone-producing cells — these are called pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).
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