The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown. It is more common in people with diabetes, people with long-term inflammation of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis), and smokers. It is slightly more common in women than in men. The risk increases with age. A small number of cases are related to genetic syndromes that are passed down through families.

A tumor or cancer in the pancreas may grow without any symptoms at first. This means pancreatic cancer is often advanced when it is first found. Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer include: dark urine and clay-colored stools, fatigue and weakness, jaundice, loss of appetite and weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and pain or discomfort in the upper part of the belly or abdomen. Other possible symptoms are: back pain, blood clots, diarrhea, and indigestion.Tests used in diagnosis include: CT scan or MRI of the abdomen, ERCP, EUS, and pancreatic biopsy.

Because they are often advanced when first found, very few pancreatic tumors can be removed by surgery. The standard surgical procedure is called a pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure). Patients whose tumor cannot be totally removed, but who have a blockage of the tubes that transport bile (biliary obstruction), must have that blockage relieved commonly by placement of a tiny biliary stent during ERCP.