Cancer of the pancreas

OBJECTIVE: To review current information about epidemiology, clinical picture, histopathology, diagnosis, staging and treatment of cancer of the pancreas. BACKGROUND: In Mexico and the rest of the world frequency of cancer of the pancreas has rosen. Early diagnosis is difficult and in general prognosis is poor. METHOD: A complication of classical and recent reports in cancer of the pancreas. RESULTS: The abuse in consumption of coffee and alcoholic beverages as well as smoking habit are related with this disease. Symptoms are non specific and when they become obvious disease in general is advanced. Intraductal adenocarcinoma is the most frequent histological type. Thinking in the disease and CT are important in the diagnosis. New diagnostic tools are available like monoclonal antibodies and oncogenes. Staging is important to rule out treatment in each case in particular. Duodenopancreatectomy still being the classic operation in cancer of the pancreas, and notwithstanding multiple technical modifications results have not changed. CONCLUSIONS: Better knowledge of the disease has brought earlier diagnosis and a better survival.