Introduction (85-102)Pancreatic cancer is generally referred to as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and accounts for only 2% of cancer cases and 5% of cancer deaths in Australia ; however, it is considered one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of less than 5% and an average survival of four to five months, due to its aggressive character. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced, unresectable stage and the disease is highly resistant to standard treatment options, with high rates of local recurrence. Therefore, healthcare professionals should raise awareness about this deadly cancer. This clinical update will cover the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer focusing on the risk factors and drug treatment of pancreatic cancer. (118)Definition of pancreatic cancer (514-617)Pancreatic cancer is a disease characterized by the presence of malignant cells in the tissues of the pancreas and involves carcinomas of the head of the pancreas, hepatic pancreatic ampulla, common bile duct and the duodenum. Although tumors can arise from both exocrine and endocrine tissue, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common pancreatic tumor that arises from the exocrine parenchyma in the pancreatic duct and occurs most frequently in the head of the pancreas. or the…,There are two broad categories of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), which develop from endocrine tissues, are the least common, accounting for 5% of all diagnosed pancreatic tumors and have several subtypes named for the hormone they produce. Adenocarcinomas, tumors that arise from the exocrine parenchyma, are responsible for 95% of pancreatic cancer cases...... mid article ......itaxel, and recent studies show that patients treated with the erlotinib combination , with gemcitabine produces a modest overall survival advantage of 7 days. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) may be another option if the patient does not respond to gemcitabine. A combination chemotherapy regimen called folfirinox consisting of oxaliplatin, irinotecan, fluorouracil and leucovorin was found to be more effective than standard gemcitabine alone in increasing the survival rate and delaying disease progression in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, folfirinox is not suitable for all patients and is usually only given to patients who have a good performance status, i.e. very fit and well, because this combination can be difficult to tolerate and has more side effects than therapy standard.Table …lists anticancer agents used for pancreatic cancer