Question: What does the pancreas do in your body?

Hi caton
The pancreas has two main roles: 1) to help in digestion and 2) to help regulate blood sugar levels.
The pancreas is made up of two very different cellular compartments. The exocrine compartment is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes which are proteins that help digest our food. The endocrine compartment is the bit that has cells that helps to regulate our blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels are high (hyperglycemia; after eating) these cells secrete insulin to help bring the blood sugar levels back down to normal levels. When blood sugar levels are low (hypoglycemia), glucagon is secreted to help raise blood sugar levels to normal levels again. Diabetes occurs when the endocrine cells don’t work properly and we can’t regulate our blood sugar levels.
The cancer I do research into comes from exocrine cells, the cells that help digestion. This accounts for more than 90% of pancreas cancers and is the most aggressive form of pancreas cancer.