Like many cancers, the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown. Cancer cells are the result of mutations in the cells. These mutations make the cells grow and reproduce too quickly, causing them to build up in the tissues. When cancer cells form in your pancreas, a tumor may grow. This tumor can damage the pancreas, and the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. The stage of pancreatic cancer is based on the size of the tumor and where the cancer has spread. Stage 4 indicates that the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas into parts of the body far from the pancreas.
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