A number of diseases and conditions can affect the pancreas and
stop it from working correctly, including:
Cancer: Cells in the pancreas reproduce
faster than they should, creating growths called tumors; pancreatic
cancer can be fatal.
Type 1 Diabetes: The pancreas no longer
produces insulin.
These diseases can be treated in a number of ways. However, a
transplant is normally used only to treat cases of severe type
1 diabetes. A transplant is never used to treat type 2 diabetes,
because in this type, the problem is not lack of insulin, but
the body's inability to respond in the right way. Both the American
Diabetes Association and the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
have lots of information about diabetes.
