Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a review for primary care physicians.

Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is becoming an increasingly common disease. The differential diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is that of obstructive jaundice. Suspicious findings on history and physical examination can be confirmed with appropriate laboratory and radiologic testing. Approximately 20% of patients with small lesions and no metastatic disease may be cured with resection. The operative mortality and morbidity for major pancreatic resections is now sufficiently low to warrant a more aggressive approach to these patients.