The National Pancreas Foundation is dedicated to the exchange and sharing of information and new developments in the mysterious “black box” of pancreas disease. Recent articles and published papers regarding the diagnosis of pancreas disease will be published.

The diagnosis of pancreas disease is often difficult because of the deep location of the pancreas. The most important clue to a proper diagnosis is an accurate medical history. Doctors should perform a thorough physical exam and routine blood tests to determine the levels of amylase and lipase, which are often the first tools used to begin the diagnosis. State of the art imaging techniques include ultrasonic imaging, CAT (computed tomography) scan and ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) are used to detect abnormalities. In the case of pancreatic cancer, a biopsy is performed to obtain a tissue sample.

Symptoms include chronic pain, diarrhea, malnutrition or diabetes. The classic presentation of pancreatic cancer is referred to as painless jaundice, a yellowish skin discoloration with no other symptoms.