What Are the Causes of Pancreas Cancer?
The pancreas is an essential part of the digestive system. It produces hormones, such as insulin to regulate and process sugar, and digestive juices, such as tripsyn, to break down proteins, amylase to break down starches, and lipase to break down fats. Cancer of the pancreas, or pancreatic cancer, occurs when cells change or mutate, grow rapidly and become tumors. There is no clear cause of pancreatic cancer but heredity causes 10 percent of cases and other factors contribute to its development. According to the National Cancer Institute, there were 42,470 cases of pancreatic cancer in 2009. It is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in the United States.
