All articles starting with P

Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer, chiefly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is a malignancy of the pancreas' exocrine or endocrine cells; about 90% are PDAC, over 490,000 died globally in 2024, and 5-year survival is 13%.

Pancreatic elastase

Pancreatic elastase (EC 3.4.21.36), a serine protease cleaving after small hydrophobic amino acids; its fecal measurement (FE-1/FEL-1) is the standard first-line test for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, with <200 µg/g abnormal and watery stool causing false lows.

Pancreatic endocrine cell

Pancreatic endocrine cells, the hormone-secreting cells of the islets of Langerhans, comprise five types: alpha (glucagon), beta (insulin), delta (somatostatin), gamma/PP (pancreatic polypeptide), and epsilon (ghrelin) cells.

Pancreatic enzymes (medication)

Pancreatic enzymes (pancrelipase, pancreatin; brands Creon, Zenpep, Pancreaze) are porcine-derived oral enzyme replacement therapy for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and pancreatic surgery, dosed by lipase units with meals.

Pancreatic function test

A pancreatic function test is a diagnostic procedure assessing exocrine pancreatic function, by direct measurement of stimulated secretion or indirect markers, to detect insufficiency in chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis.

Pancreatic head resection

Pancreatic head resection is an operation removing the head of the pancreas, most often as the Whipple procedure, the main curative treatment for pancreatic head cancers.

Pancreatic hypoplasia-diabetes-congenital heart disease syndrome

Pancreatic hypoplasia-diabetes-congenital heart disease syndrome, also known as Yorifuji-Okuno syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by GATA6 mutations, combining pancreatic underdevelopment, diabetes, and congenital heart defects.

Pancreatic islets

Pancreatic islets (islets of Langerhans) are endocrine cell clusters in the pancreas; beta cells make insulin. About one million per pancreas; FDA-approved donor-islet therapy (Lantidra) treats type 1 diabetes since 2023.

Pancreatic juice

Pancreatic juice: alkaline exocrine secretion of the pancreas (1–4 L/day) carrying about 20 digestive enzymes and bicarbonate to the duodenum; regulated by secretin and cholecystokinin; lipolytic action discovered by Claude Bernard in 1848; now used as a biomarker fluid for pancreatic cancer detection.

Pancreatic lipase

Pancreatic lipase (PTL), a 50 kDa pancreatic enzyme with cofactor colipase, hydrolyzes dietary triglycerides at sn-1/sn-3 bonds; inhibited by bile salts, activated by lid-domain opening, targeted by orlistat, and measured in serum for pancreatitis diagnosis.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET, islet cell tumor): a benign or malignant tumor of the pancreas's hormone-producing islet cells; about 90% are nonfunctional; rarer and far more survivable than pancreatic adenocarcinoma; treated with surgery, somatostatin analogs, PRRT, and targeted drugs.

Oct 15, 2026

Pancreatic polypeptide

Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a 36-amino-acid peptide hormone secreted by pancreatic F cells that inhibits exocrine pancreatic secretion, regulates gastrointestinal function, and reduces food intake.

Pancreatic resection

Pancreatic resection is surgery that removes part or all of the pancreas to treat tumors and other pancreatic disease, including the Whipple procedure for pancreatic head cancer.

Pancreatic ribonuclease

Pancreatic ribonuclease, also called ribonuclease A (RNase A) or RNase 1, is a digestive enzyme that breaks down RNA, encoded in humans by the RNASE1 gene.

Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm

Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN, Frantz or Hamoudi tumor): rare low-grade malignant pancreatic tumor first described by Frantz in 1959, affecting young women, driven by CTNNB1 exon 3 mutations, with about 97% five-year survival after resection.

Pancreatic steatorrhoea

Pancreatic steatorrhoea, also called pancreatic steatorrhea, is excess fecal fat from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, mainly in chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, or after pancreatic surgery; defined as fat absorption below 93% and treated with enzyme replacement therapy.

Pancreatic stellate cell

Pancreatic stellate cell (PSC), vitamin A-storing pancreatic cell identified 1982, isolated 1998; quiescent in health, activated to myofibroblast-like ECM-producing cells driving fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer stroma.

Pancreatic stent placement

Pancreatic stent placement is an endoscopic procedure that inserts a small tube into the pancreatic duct to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis, drain an obstructed duct, or bridge a leak.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, is the standard curative resection for pancreatic head and periampullary tumors, removing the pancreatic head, duodenum, and distal bile duct with three-anastomosis reconstruction; performed open, laparoscopic, or robotically.

Pancreaticogastrostomy

Pancreaticogastrostomy is a surgical reconstruction that joins the pancreatic remnant to the stomach after resection, restoring exocrine drainage; it is the main alternative to pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy, reintroduced in 1967.