Most patients with an unidentified primary tumor have a cell type called adenocarcinoma. The term adenocarcinoma refers to cancer that begins in the cells in glandular structures in the lining or covering of certain organs in the body. Common primary sites for adenocarcinomas include the lung, pancreas, breast, prostate, stomach, liver, and colon.
This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.
Adenocarcinoma is an exocrine tumor and is the most common kind of pancreatic cancer (80-90%). Adenocarcinoma arises from abnormal cells lining the pancreatic duct. These cells may form glands, or a collection of cells surrounding an empty space. Unless otherwise specified, nearly all accounts of pancreatic cancer refer to adenocarcinoma.
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