What are intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms?
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms are tumors (neoplasms) that grow within the pancreatic ducts (intraductal) characterized by the production of thick fluid by the tumor cells (mucinous). Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms are important because some of them progress to invasive cancer (transform from a benign tumor to a malignant tumor) if they are left untreated. Just as colon polyps can develop into colon cancer if left untreated, so too do some intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms progress into an invasive pancreatic cancer. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms therefore represent an opportunity to treat a pancreatic tumor before it develops into an aggressive, hard-to-treat cancer.
