Overview
A pancreatic cyst is a fluid-filled growth on the inside or outside of your pancreas. There are different types, made of slightly different cellular materials. Some types are neoplastic, and others are nonneoplastic. Neoplastic cysts have the potential to become cancerous. Nonneoplastic types don’t.
What does a cyst on the pancreas mean?
Some pancreatic cysts seem to be related to inflammation (pancreatitis), but most occur for unknown reasons. Most pancreatic cysts won’t cause any problems. Rarely, a neoplastic type of cyst can be the start of pancreatic cancer. This is more likely if you have a family history of pancreatic cancer.
Should I be worried about a pancreatic cyst?
If your healthcare provider discovers a pancreatic cyst on your imaging scan, they’ll classify it right away as low, medium or high risk, based on the image and whether you have symptoms. If it’s low risk, there’s likely nothing to worry about. If it’s medium or high risk, they’ll treat it according to their guidelines.
Most pancreatic cysts will simply go under surveillance. Healthcare providers keep an eye on them to see if they change over time. If a cyst changes from low to medium risk, they’ll take a biopsy to learn more about it. If a cyst changes from medium to high risk, they’ll schedule surgery to remove it.
How common are pancreatic cysts?
Studies suggest that approximately 10% of CT scans (computed tomography scans) and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) discover pancreatic cysts. They’re usually an accidental finding on imaging tests taken for another reason. Since most pancreatic cysts don’t cause symptoms, we don’t know how many other people might have them without being aware of it.
What percentage of pancreatic cysts are cancerous?
Less than 1% of pancreatic cysts turn into cancer. But up to 30% of pancreatic cysts have the potential to turn into cancer. This is why healthcare providers keep an eye on them. Most precancerous cysts grow and change very slowly, so regular surveillance is likely to spot cancerous changes early in the process.
What are the different types of pancreatic cysts?
Neoplastic (precancerous) cysts are also called pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN). They include:
- Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. These are the most common type of neoplastic cysts. They grow on the pancreatic duct. Their fluid is a mixture of pancreatic juices and mucin, which is one of the components in mucus. This mucin may cause the pancreatic duct to swell.
- Mucinous cystic neoplasms. These less-common mucinous neoplasms almost exclusively affect women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and over the age of 50. They grow on the body of the pancreas.
- Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms. These rare neoplasms have both solid and liquid parts. They tend to affect people assigned female at birth, often in their 20s and 30s.
- Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (also called islet cell tumors) are rare. They’re usually solid tumors, but sometimes they look like cysts.
Nonneoplastic (benign) cysts include:
- Simple cysts (retention cysts). These benign cysts grow within the pancreas, apart from the pancreatic duct. They’re lined with a single layer of epithelial cells. They mostly affect children.
- Serous cystadenomas. These relatively common cysts are benign, but they can cause complications by growing too large and sometimes need surgical removal.
- Mucinous nonneoplastic cysts. These are benign mucin-producing cysts that healthcare providers have to examine to tell apart from the neoplastic types.
- Lymphoepithelial cysts. These rare benign cysts appear mostly in people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Pancreatic pseudocysts are sometimes mistaken for cysts. A pseudocyst isn’t a growth, however. It’s a pocket of fluid that forms when pancreatic juices leak from your pancreas. Pseudocysts are benign.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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