Glossary

Surgery that removes as much of the cancer as possible.

Normal-looking tissue beneath a tumor.

The presence or absence of cancer cells in the normal-looking tissue under a tumor that is removed by surgery.

Disease in which the body does not effectively control the amount of sugar in the blood, resulting in high levels; it occurs when the body does not produce enough or any insulin or does not use it properly.

Surgical procedure in which the tail and body of the pancreas are removed, usually along with the entire spleen; sometimes, part of the body of the pancreas can be preserved.

The molecule in the cell nucleus that carries the instructions for making living organisms.

A change in the way a drug acts or works in the body when it is taken with another drug or substance; the interaction can cause unwanted effects.

When a formerly effective medication stops being effective against a disease.

Imaging test for evaluating patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer; this type of computed tomography scan can detect about 98 percent of pancreatic cancers.

A channel leading from an exocrine gland or organ.

The first part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach.

The legal designation of a person responsible to make medical decisions for a patient when that patient cannot do so.