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If you’ve recently been told that you have a pancreatic cyst or mass, you may feel a lot of uncertainty about what that means and what you should do. It can be hard to know what steps you should take next, and you may have a lot of questions, including:
If you’ve recently been told that you have a pancreatic cyst or mass, you may feel a lot of uncertainty about what that means and what you should do. It can be hard to know what steps you should take next, and you may have a lot of questions, including:
It’s not unusual for cysts—balloon-like packets filled with fluid—to form in the pancreas. They usually don’t cause symptoms, and are almost always discovered incidentally during a test performed for other reasons.
Most pancreatic cysts are benign, meaning they’re not cancerous, and they stem from conditions other than cancer—such as inflammation associated with pancreatitis or as a result of abdominal trauma. However, some cysts are considered precancerous, and a small percentage are malignant or can become cancerous over time. Because of this, it’s important to find a team of specialists who will closely monitor your cyst for concerning changes.
Your physician may want to conduct further evaluation of your pancreatic cyst. How a cyst looks, what’s inside it, and its location in the pancreas can provide clues about its risk of becoming cancerous.
It is important to see a specialist who can determine the appropriate plan for diagnosis and treatment, which could consist of a biopsy, imaging tests, regular surveillance, or surgical removal. At Fox Chase, we see many patients with pancreatic cysts, and we offer specialized expertise for this condition.
There are several types of pancreatic cysts. Some are filled with a mucus-like substance called mucin, which can block the ducts that connect the pancreas to the intestine. Mucin-producing cysts have the potential to become malignant, especially if they are larger or have a thickened wall that lights up with contrast on imaging. These types of cysts include:
Common types of benign pancreatic cysts are:
If your pancreatic cyst contains benign cells and doesn’t present high-risk features on imaging tests, it probably won’t have to be removed. These types of noncancerous cysts include serous cystadenomas and pseudocysts. There is no medical treatment for these cysts, but your doctor will likely recommend imaging tests, endoscopies, and/or biopsies every 6–12 months to look for any changes.
For mucin-producing cysts that are considered precancerous—including intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs)—surgical removal is often recommended to avoid future occurrence of cancer.
At Fox Chase, we take pride in providing world-class care for our patients with pancreatic cysts and other diseases.
Fox Chase has:
Request an appointment with our team. Call us at 866-335-2706 or complete the appointment form.
Disclaimer: Temple University Health System (TUHS) neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents. Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System and by the Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
